With seven months to go before their much-anticipated November match-up, Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum had a 2-to-1 financial advantage over his likely challenger, Democratic state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr.

Mr. Santorum had roughly $9 million available to defend his seat, while Mr. Casey had $4.5 million after a robust fund-raising quarter for both candidates.

From the beginning of the year until April 1, Mr. Santorum's campaign committee collected slightly less than $3.1 million. A major chunk of that, roughly $700,000, came last month when President Bush appeared with the senator as the featured attraction at a fund-raiser in Sewickley Heights.

The Democrat had roughly $2.2 million in receipts during the same period.

Mr. Casey's two rivals for the Democratic nomination were far behind. Alan Sandals, a Philadelphia pension lawyer, raised $138,528 and had $35,035 in cash. Chuck Pennacchio, a Bucks County history professor, had $17,800 in cash after raising $25,500 in the first quarter.

Altogether, Mr. Casey has raised approximately $8 million since entering the race, while Mr. Santorum has collected some $17 million.

The Democrat brought in roughly $100,000 at one fund-raiser last month with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. More recently, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York came to his aid at a fund-raising event in Chicago. The receipts from the Clinton event came too late to be included in the report.

In perhaps the most hotly contested congressional primary in the region, two would-be challengers to U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Bradford Woods, were in a competitive financial battle. Georgia Berner, a Lawrence County business owner, had $170,018 in cash at the end of the reporting period, compared with $113,625 for Jason Altmire, a former UPMC executive.

The two Democrats attracted roughly equal sums in contributions during the first three months of the year, $64,245 for Ms. Berner and $64,299 for Mr. Altmire. The businesswoman lent her campaign $25,000 in her own money during the reporting period, while the former executive and congressional staffer listed a loan of $8,500 to his campaign.

Ms. Hart was far ahead of both of them, with $668,893 in cash left from the nearly $1 million she has raised so far in this election cycle.

Her neighboring Republican colleague, U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, had an even more overwhelming financial lead over his prospective challengers. The 18th District incumbent had $842,282 in cash after raising more than $1 million.

One Democrat in that district, former telecommunications executive Chad Kluko, had just $1,117 in cash left from total contributions of less than $8,000. Figures for the other Democrat on the primary ballot, Thomas Kovach of Peters, were not immediately available.

Mr. Kluko said his figures were not an accurate gauge of his fund-raising ability, noting that he was a relatively late entrant to the race, and he predicted his fund-raising pace would jump sharply in the months to come.