Creem Outpacing Rudnick On Fundraising

State Senator Cynthia Creem has amassed a considerable campaign war chest heading into next month's Democratic primary, having raised nearly five times as much as challenger Charles Rudnick. 

The two will contest for the First Middlesex and Norfolk district seat (including Newton, Brookline and Wellesley precincts A, C, D, and E ) Sept. 14.

According to finance documents released by both campaigns late last month, Rudnick has raised $11,540 in first six months of 2010, in large part from out-of-state donations. Of the 160 individual contributions Rudnick received, 48 came from donors outside Massachusetts.

The documents also showed Rudnick propped up his campaign with a $15,000 loan from himself in late May.

Creem, on the other hand, has raised $50,140 so far this, with a total of 411 individual donations. All but four came from inside Massachusetts, though of those – a $200 donation from Connecticut developer Justin Krebs – was returned by the campaign.

Creem collected six individual contributions from residents in Wellesley. Rudnick collected five.

Creem voluntarily released her campaign finance documents on July 22, well ahead of the filing deadline in early September. Rudnick's campaign initially said it wasn't prepared to release its finance data, but followed suit late last week.

Rudnick has made a major visibility push in recent days, sending campaign workers into all 52 precincts in the district last week. Creem has also hit the campaign trail, recently greeting commuters at the Coolidge Corner T Stop with former Gov. Michael Dukakis.

The two candidates will appear together at a candidate's night hosted by the Brookline Democratic Town Committee at Town Hall on Aug. 10 and have scheduled several other debates outside of Brookline. They'll face off in the Democratic primary in September.

The Republican Party has not fielded a candidate for the seat.