Former Congressman Mike Ross is reporting having $1.6 million in the bank after winning the Democratic Party's nomination for Arkansas governor last month. Ross on Monday filed a fundraising report with the secretary of state's office that showed he raised nearly $194,000 between May 11 and May 31. The deadline to file final fundraising reports for the May 20 primary is June 30.
Ross and Republican nominee Asa Hutchinson, also a former congressman, easily won their parties' respective nominations in the primary against lesser-known, underfunded rivals. A fundraising report for Hutchinson had not been filed Monday.
Ross reported spending more than $558,000 last month, with most of it going toward television advertising. Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe is barred by term limits from seeking re-election this fall.
