COLUMBIA, Mo. – Aside from having the candidate attend a number of Democratic events across the state, in the the six weeks since Democrat Jason Kander announced he would challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt next year, his campaign has focused like a laser on one key thing: Fundraising.

In that time period, Kander’s first quarter raising money under federal campaign finance limits, his campaign raised $783,460, a number his campaign boasted to be more than Blunt, himself, raised when he first announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate in January 2009.

“On the first day of his campaign, Jason received more contributions from Missourians than Senator Blunt did in the entire last quarter, and the support never let up,” said Abe Rakov, Kander’s campaign manager, in a statement. “Missourians are sending a very clear message that they’re tired of having a Senator that represents Washington instead of Missouri.”

In addition to the first day cash boost, Kander also spent time in Washington, D.C., seeking campaign support at a fundraiser organized by lobbyists.

Blunt, a member of the Republican Senate leadership, has not yet filed his campaign finance report for the past quarter that ended on March 31. A campaign spokesperson said Thursday his “first quarter report will show over $1 million raised and over $3 million cash on hand.”