Kim Reynolds has 13 times more cash on hand than Democratic competitor Deidre DeJear

Gov. Kim Reynolds' reelection campaign has 13 times more cash on hand than her Democratic competitor, new campaign filings show. 

Deidre DeJear, a Des Moines small business owner and the only Democrat challenging Reynolds, had $381,614 in the bank by May 14, the end of the first fundraising period. It's a far cry from DeJear's meager cash on hand at the beginning of 2022, when she reported just $8,547 saved.

But incumbent Reynolds once again dominated for cash on hand. She reported nearly $5 million in her war chest at the end of the period — a $200,000 increase from her savings at the beginning of the year. 

Thursday was the deadline for all statewide and legislative candidates to report how much money they raised since the start of the year. 

Quarterly fundraising numbers for the two gubernatorial candidates show a less drastic difference, though DeJear still trailed Reynolds.

DeJear raised about $740,000 between January and mid-May, the campaign reported. Since launching her campaign in August 2021, DeJear has raised a little more than $1 million.

More:Can Deidre DeJear mount a credible campaign for governor?

"I am incredibly proud of the outpouring of support our campaign has seen and know this is just the beginning of our success," DeJear said in a statement.

Reynolds raised more than $1 million in this fundraising period alone. Her campaign brought in $1.28 million between January and May. 

Reynolds also outspent DeJear in the first of 2022, doling out just over $1 million for consulting, postage and delivery, payroll and other expenses.

DeJear spent about one-third the amount: $366,726. For scale, the Reynolds campaign spent $331,048 on digital consulting alone in the same time period.

DeJear's fundraising numbers and the rate at which she had spent her savings last year worried Democratic Party leaders. Since then she has won the endorsement of Fred Hubbell, a wealthy Iowa businessman and former Democratic candidate for governor.

Hubbell's endorsement came with a $60,000 contribution, records show. 

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com or at 410-340-3440. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.