Baker starts late, but dough rises fast

The last several posts have included charts shown Republican Charlie Baker narrowly trailing State Treasurer Steve Grossman in 2013 fundraising totals. But this is largely an artifact of Baker's late entry into the race. Whereas several of the Democrats started raising money early in 2013, Baker only started in September. Since then, he has raised nearly a million dollars, well in excess of any other candidate in the same period, and nearly all from Massachusetts.

 Note: these figures are based on current OCPF fundraising figures as of 1/6/2014.

Baker enjoys the advantage of being the only big name Republican in the race, while Democratic donors are divided among a number of different candidates. If the field is winnowed during the Democratic convention in June, or if Democratic donors and voters coalesce around one candidate, this dynamic may change. But for now, it looks like Baker is well-positioned to hold his own, at least in terms of raising money.