Cash gap appears to narrow in Mo. lt. gov. race

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder appears to be catching up to his Democratic challenger's fundraising advantage.

Kinder spent heavily in the summer's GOP primary and reported $18,300 in available cash on Sept. 1. Since then, state campaign finance records show Kinder has collected $129,000 from contributions above $5,000. The haul includes $25,000 from the Missouri Republican Committee.

Democrat Susan Montee, a former state auditor, had $185,000 in her campaign bank account on Sept. 1. She reported raising $25,000 from large contributions in September.

Campaigns must report contributions greater than $5,000 within 48 hours. Full campaign finance reports for July, August and September are due to the Missouri Ethics Commission in two weeks.