KETCHUM, Idaho (Reuters) - Democratic Sen. John Kerry's presidential election campaign reported on Sunday it had collected $8.4 million last month, well shy of the $13.7 million haul of rival President Bush.Kerry's latest take, disclosed in a filing with the Federal Election Commission, barely outstripped his spending and pushed his campaign war chest up only slightly to $2.4 million.
In contrast, Bush's re-election campaign had $110 million on hand at the end of last month.
"They are going to have the advantage on money. We are going to have the advantage on issues," Kerry spokesman David Wade told reporters on Saturday.
March is shaping up as a much better fund-raising month for Kerry, who saw his last major rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, bow out of the race on March 3.
Earlier this month, the Kerry camp said it had raked in $10 million in just ten days through its Web site. Campaign aides say Kerry's success at Internet fund-raising showed solid grass-roots support for his candidacy.
"We continue to have a big spike (in donations)," Wade said. "It is evidence how energized the Democratic race is this year."
