U.S. Senator Bob Corker adds $2.5 million to war chest

Bob Corker

If federal elections were held today, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., likely would cruise to victory based not only on the strength of his fundraising, but also since there’s no Democratic challenger to be found.

The former Chattanooga mayor’s staff told the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Monday it has $5.3 million on hand for a 2012 re-election race, so far obliterating his one registered GOP competitor, James Durkan, who raised $6,219 through March 31, records show.

Aides said Corker was proud of the campaign’s “strong fundraising numbers” – including $2.5 million collected between April 1 and June 30 – but chief of staff Todd Womack said the campaign “is not on our radar in a significant way.”

“We are grateful for the overwhelming generosity of citizens across Tennessee who have shown their support for Senator Corker’s work to bring spending under control by putting the federal government in a fiscal straitjacket,” Womack said.