SALEM - Foreshadowing a spendy 2006 Oregon governor's race, the contenders in both major parties already have raised more than $1 million, with Republican challenger Ron Saxton banking the most campaign money of anyone at this early stage.

More than eight months before the May 16 primary election, Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski's re-election campaign says it has received $413,000 in campaign contributions and has pledges of another $200,000, dwarfing the amounts received by two Democratic challengers - state Sen. Vicki Walker and Lane County Commissioner Peter Sorenson, both of Eugene.

The more expensive contest promises to be in the Republican gubernatorial primary, for which the Saxton campaign says it has banked $472,000 in actual contributions and has pledges of another $100,000 for Saxton's rematch with former Oregon GOP chairman Kevin Mannix. In 2002, Mannix defeated Saxton in the GOP primary but then was narrowly defeated by Kulongoski in the general election.

Mannix's campaign, which still has $400,000 in debts from his 2002 run, says it so far has been able to raise $275,000 in campaign contributions for next year's gubernatorial race, and has received pledges of another $225,000 from supporters.

The third GOP contender in the race, state Sen. Jason Atkinson of Jacksonville, isn't well-known statewide and so far has raised about $80,000, his campaign office said.

Among Kulongoski's Democratic challengers, Walker has raised about $14,000 and Sorenson has raised $22,000.

Campaign expenditure reports to be filed with the state in the coming week will show that Kulongoski, Mannix and Saxton all are raising a lot more money for their gubernatorial campaigns than they were at this time four years ago.

A recent statewide poll showed Kulongoski leading all challengers at this point, but far short of a majority, and Republicans are hoping 2006 will be the year they recapture the governor's office after five straight losses to the Democrats.

Saxton's campaign spokesman, Felix Schein, said the Portland lawyer's contributions come from a wide array of Oregon Republicans, the largest being a $100,000 donation from retired forest products industry executive Bill Swindells.

"The Saxton campaign has raised more real money - money that's actually in the bank - than either the Kulongoski or Mannix campaigns," Schein said. "It shows Oregonians want a change of leadership, both in the governor's mansion and in the Oregon Republican Party."

Mannix's campaign spokesman, Jack Kane, conceded that the Saxton campaign is "substantially ahead of us" at this point but added that Mannix wasn't able to devote himself to raising money for his gubernatorial bid until he stepped down as state GOP chairman in July.

Since then, Kane said, Mannix has been steadily raising money from GOP backers across the state. His largest donation so far is $40,000 from Portland auto dealer Bob Lanphere, he said.

Political analyst Jim Moore said Saxton's fundraising totals are impressive so far, but he said Mannix nonetheless still can count on getting strong support from many of the GOP's more socially conservative voters - especially those who, like Mannix, oppose abortion.

Mannix won the 2002 GOP primary in part because he emphasized his opposition to abortion, Moore said.

"Even though Mannix has less money, his issues attract a lot of Republican primary voters," said Moore, who teaches political science at Pacific University in Forest Grove.

Moore also predicted that spending in the 2006 governor's race would shatter the record set four years ago, when Kulongoski and Mannix together spent more than $7 million on their tight race for governor.

Meanwhile, Kulongoski's campaign director, Paige Richardson, said the Democratic incumbent's strategists are pleased with the amount of campaign money raised so far.

The money has come from a broad spectrum of Oregonians - including $25,000 from Randy Pape, a Republican businessman whose company sells and services construction, forestry and aviation equipment, she said.

Richardson also said she's not surprised by all of the "chest thumping" being done by Saxton and Mannix over the amounts they've raised so far, given that the two Republicans will have to raise at least $1 million each for their contested primary.

"We don't have that situation. We will spend little to nothing in our primary election, which will be a contest in name only," she said.

She was referring to Walker and Sorenson, the two lesser-known opponents Kulongoski might face in the May Democratic primary.

Walker, a feisty legislator who has repeatedly criticized Kulongoski for being part of the "old boy network" in Salem, announced last week that she will challenge Kulongoski next year - if she can raise enough money.

The Eugene Democrat said she thinks she would need to raise at least $750,000 to mount a primary challenge to Kulongoski and that she will decide by the end of the year whether she is on target to do that or whether she should run again for her legislative seat.

At this point, Walker said she has raised about $14,000 - including a $5,000 contribution from a high school friend who now owns a physical therapy clinic in Eugene.

"You don't need to run a race with an obscene amount of money to win. You just need to relate to the people," she said.

Sorenson, for his part, said while the $22,000 he's raised so far from various small donors doesn't compare with Kulongoski's fund-raising, there's a distinct lack of enthusiasm for Kulongoski among many "grass roots," progressive Democratic voters.

"The intensity of dislike for the incumbent governor is what fuels a grassroots campaign like the one we are running," the Lane County commissioner said.