By John McCarthy
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - Republican Gov. Bob Taft is approaching the $9.8 million he raised in his first campaign for governor, while Democrat Tim Hagan has not yet brought in $1 million, campaign finance reports filed Thursday showed.

FUND-RAISING TOTALS

A look at the fund-raising and spending by statewide candidates in Ohio's Nov. 5 election. Amount raised is the total brought in from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16. Amount spent is expenditures since the May 6 primary. ("i" denotes incumbent) GOVERNOR Bob Taft-i (Republican): Raised: $746,000. Spent: $8.3 million. Cash available: $1.5 million. Tim Hagan (Democrat): Raised: $126,521. Spent: $686,660. Cash available: $230,450. ATTORNEY GENERAL Leigh Herington (D): Raised: $30,122. Spent: $232,121. Cash available: $93,678. Jim Petro (R): Raised: $173,072. Spent: $1.2 million. Cash available: $353,897. AUDITOR Betty Montgomery (R): Raised: $80,473. Spent: $430,672. Cash available: $426,301. Helen Knipe Smith (D): Raised: $10,950. Spent: $3,246. Cash available: $29,349. SECRETARY OF STATE Bryan Flannery (D): Raised: $22,720. Spent: $216,086. Cash available: $13,181. Kenneth Blackwell-i (R): Raised: $13,378. Spent: $1.03 million. Cash available: $60,125. TREASURER Joseph Deters-i (R): Raised: $64,510. Spent: $585,076. Cash available: $13,256. Mary Boyle (D): Raised: $80,473. Spent: $430,672. Cash available: $106,463. SUPREME COURT Term beginning Jan. 1 Tim Black (D): Raised: $44,709. Spent: $1.1 million. Cash available: $41,095. Maureen O'Connor (R): Raised: $231,562. Spent: $616,865. Cash available: $789,704. Term beginning Jan. 2 Evelyn Lundberg Stratton-i (R): Raised: $335,087. Spent: $826,807. Cash available: $651,306. Janet Burnside (D): Raised: $104,050. Spent: $943,786. Cash available: $51,204. SOURCE: Ohio secretary of state

Mr. Taft added $746,000 from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16, to the more than $9 million he reported raising previously, according to the reports filed with Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell's office. Mr. Hagan raised $126,521 during the same period, bringing his campaign total to just over $900,000. He reported spending $686,660.

Reports filed by campaigns battling over state Issue 1, which would require judges to impose treatment instead of prison for nonviolent first- and second-time drug offenders, showed that backers raised $440,250 to spend on the campaign and opponents raised $777,549.

House Speaker Larry Householder's Republican campaign committee reported spending $4.9 million since the May 6 primary, overwhelming the House Democrats' total spending, $389,336.

Mr. Taft has spent $8.3 million of his account, most of it on television ads for his re-election. He also has contributed $425,000 to the Ohio Republican Party, $5,000 each to the Senate and House Republican caucuses and thousands more to legislative candidates. In addition, he gave $5,500 apiece to GOP Supreme Court candidates Maureen O'Connor and Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton.

"He thinks it's very important. He wants to help them by running strong at the top of the ticket and by supporting them financially," Taft campaign spokesman Orest Holubec said.

Mr. Hagan has said he cannot afford television advertising, so he has invested in his two Web sites, where he runs spots promoting his candidacy and criticizing Mr. Taft. However, Mr. Hagan will be featured in statewide television ads the Ohio Democratic Party is running on behalf of the entire ticket, beginning Monday - eight days before the Nov. 5 election.

"We are where we want to be less than two weeks out," Hagan campaign consultant Gerald Austin said.

On Issue 1, opponents had claimed that they would be outspent substantially because the proponents' campaign was funded by billionaires George Soros, John Sperling and Peter Lewis. However, advertising has just begun in the campaign.

In another race of statewide interest, Democrat Mary Boyle reported raising $80,473 and spending $430,672 in her race for treasurer against Republican incumbent Joseph Deters. Ms. Boyle is planning a statewide ad run, but Mr. Deters already has bought more than $2 million in air time.