AUGUSTA – The five gubernatorial candidates on Maine’s ballot have spent a total of $3 million so far in the campaign, sinking most of the money into media ads, staffing and office expenses.

Reports filed with the state also show recent strong fundraising by Republican Paul LePage, who collected $398,378 from July 14 to Sept. 14, and independent Eliot Cutler, whose campaign took in $157,032 during the same period.

Through Sept. 14, LePage’s campaign had spent $402,412, and Cutler’s had spent $1.2 million. Democrat Libby Mitchell, who is receiving public funding through the Maine Clean Election Act, reported spending $1 million on her campaign so far.

Adding in $382,197 spent by independent Shawn Moody and nearly $16,742 by independent Kevin Scott, the total spent comes to $3 million, according to reports filed with the state Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices.

The reports were due Tuesday, but because of a computer glitch, the deadline was extended a day.

During the reporting period, most of LePage’s spending was on consulting fees and his staff’s salaries. Mitchell’s report shows that most of the spending was for media buys.

Print and TV ads also accounted for a large share of Cutler’s expenditures, along with office and staff expenses.

Moody, said he found a way to cut expenses by signing up more than a dozen businesses that will serve as campaign field offices.

“When we were talking about opening campaign offices around the state, we looked at the cost and manpower involved and thought there must be a more efficient way to do this,” said Moody, whose volunteer field offices will hand out pamphlets, signs and bumper stickers.

The $3 million spent so far, on par with other Maine gubernatorial races at the same stage, includes money spent by some candidates before the June primaries. Spending by all of the candidates who ran in the Democratic and Republican primaries totaled $7.5 million.