Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has raised more money from New Jersey than any other candidate, including President Obama, who won the Garden State handily in his 2008 bid.

To date, Romney has raised more than $2.3 million from New Jersey residents, nearly half the statewide total of $4.9 million raised by all candidates for president.  So far in the cycle, Obama has raised the second highest total from New Jersey residents, drawing in more than $1.7 million.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is a far distant third with a tally of $306,000.  Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is fourth among all candidates at $118,000 raised from residents of New Jersey.

Though Obama trails Romney in New Jersey by about $600,000, he has raised money from far more residents.  So far in the cycle, nearly 7,000 state residents have donated to the president against just over 1,700 who have contributed to Romney’s campaign.

Obama, known for hauling in mass numbers of smaller donations, has so far averaged $254 per contribution, while Romney’s average donation is more than five times as large at $1,338.

Romney’s donors came in general from the wealthier townships in the state with 106 hailing from Short Hills, 68 from Summit, 52 from Ridgewood and 40 from Chatham.

Obama’s contributors were far more scattered, but a whopping 467 listed Princeton as their home, while another 198 were from Jersey City.  Montclair was the third most popular city for Obama donors with 190 listing the Essex County township as their home.

Gov. Chris Christie has put his money where his mouth is in the race. He and his wife each donated $2,500 to Romney's war chest. The governor’s brother Todd and his wife also donated $2,500 each to the Romney cause.

Christie confidante Bill Palatucci also donated $2,500 to the Romney campaign as did former Gov. Tom Kean.

Former Gov. Jon Corzine is listed as having donated a total of $5,000 to Obama, however both $2,500 contributions were returned by the campaign after Corzine’s company, MF Global, went bankrupt and questions arose over the former governor’s stewardship of the investment firm.

But despite Romney’s edge over Obama among New Jersey donors, the Democratic president has raised nearly as much as every Republican contender combined.  To date, he has raised $125 million for his re-election bid- more than double Romney’s $56 million take.

Paul, who finished fourth in Tuesday’s Florida primary, has raised nearly $26 million, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who dropped out of the contest before the South Carolina primary, had raised $19.8 million before giving up his bid.

Newt Gingrich, who trailed Romney in Florida by 14 points, has so far raised $12.6 million, while former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania has raised $2.2 million to date.  Only Romney, Paul, Gingrich and Santorum remain in the hunt for the GOP nomination.