Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) raised just under $500,000 for her congressional campaign during the last fundraising quarter, bringing her total raised so far to $1.54 million.

Stender has $1.2 million cash-on-hand to run for the open seat of retiring Republican Rep. Mike Ferguson against State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon).  The race is one of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) top priorities this election cycle. 

“I’m amazed by the overwhelming amount of support we continue to receive for our campaign,” Stender said in a statement. “New Jersey families have shown they want and need change. The failed policies of the Bush Administration have led our country in the wrong direction, and I’m running for Congress to get us back on the right track.”

Lance has not yet announced his fundraising totals, but during a press conference yesterday cautioned that, after spending $450,000 in a hotly contested primary race against several other Republican candidates, he’s just starting to refill his war chest.

“We’re going to spend all summer raising money,” he said.  “We’re just beginning.  We spent all that we had in the primary. 

Fellow Democratic congressional candidate John Adler, a state Senator who’s running in the 3rd Congressional District for the open seat of retiring Rep. Jim Saxton, raised $720,000 during the same quarter and has picked up close to $2 million so far.  His opponent, Medford Mayor Chris Myers, has not yet released his fundraising totals.