Sen. Vitter’s GOP challenger musters only $42,000

U.S. Sen. David Vitter’s chief Republican challenger has raised a dismal $42,000 since he announced his candidacy last month, a fundraising effort that will provide little threat to the senator in advance of this month’s primary election.

Former Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Chet Traylor filed a campaign finance report that showed him with less than $41,000 on hand – not much money to mount a significant campaign against an incumbent senator with more than $5 million on hand.

The latest campaign finance reports were due Monday, to detail fundraising activity from July 1 to Aug. 8. It was Traylor’s first fundraising report since his surprise decision to challenge Vitter in the Aug. 28 GOP primary.

Traylor didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

Vitter, seeking a second term, reported that he raised more than $507,000 in the most recent period. After expenses, he had nearly $5.4 million in campaign cash.

Traylor had been presented as a less scandal-ridden alternative to Vitter, who was tainted by a 2007 prostitution scandal and criticized for keeping an aide on staff for two years after the aide pleaded guilty to charges involving a knife-wielding attack on an ex-girlfriend.

But Traylor’s image took a hit when he was accused by a veteran state lawmaker of being partially to blame for ending his marriage. Traylor now is romantically involved with the estranged wife of the lawmaker’s son.

Though he has a challenge within his own party, Vitter has focused on his main Democratic rival, U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, and the two have traded attacks as though they were the only two in the race. Vitter accused Melancon and Democrats of bankrolling Traylor, a claim that both Melancon’s and Traylor’s campaign aides have called ridiculous.

Vitter continues to outpace Melancon in the money race. Melancon’s campaign reported $2.2 million on hand after raising nearly $233,000 in the most recent fundraising period.

Melancon has two little-known Democratic challengers in the Aug. 28 primary who have done little to no fundraising.

Both Vitter and Melancon said they were pleased with their fundraising. Despite the gap in campaign cash, Melancon’s campaign said it was his strongest fundraising month since the month after he announced his candidacy.

The general election is Nov. 2.