Republican 2nd District candidate Bruce Poliquin will report raising $281,000 in the days after the June primary with help from Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, his campaign said Monday.

The haul for the former state treasurer from Oakland includes money from Collins’ leadership political action committee, Dirigo PAC. It kicked in $5,000, the maximum donation, the campaign said in a news release.

Full fundraising figures won’t be released until Tuesday, when they’re due to the Federal Election Commission, but Poliquin’s campaign said it raised $292,000 total in the second quarter of this year, with roughly the same amount on hand. Poliquin has raised $820,000 throughout the campaign.

A spokesman for Poliquin’s opponent, Emily Cain, said the Orono state senator will release her figures Tuesday. Independent Blaine Richardson, a Belfast conservative and a former Navy captain, is also on the ballot to replace sitting U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, a Democrat running for governor.

Poliquin won his primary race in June over opponent Kevin Raye by burnishing his fiscally conservative principles, while Collins is seen as a party moderate.

She was also invoked in Poliquin’s primary. At one point, Raye hit Poliquin for a remark at an April forum in Machias that Raye said was leveled at Collins, Maine’s senior senator.

Then, Poliquin had a verbal exchange with a debate attendee who criticized Collins. Poliquin responded by saying Mainers should “fire” career politicians, but his campaign said afterward that he didn’t mean Collins.

Now, Poliquin is touting Collins’ help, saying in a statement that Collins “knows I will work with anyone – Democrats, Independents, or Republicans – in doing what is needed to stand up for Maine.”

 

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