Giuliani spends $13 million on 2008 White House bid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Rudy Giuliani spent about $13 million on his White House bid in the last three months, outpacing rival Fred Thompson and helping solidify his standing atop the party's 2008 pack.

Thompson, a Hollywood actor and former senator who was a latecomer to the race, spent $5.7 million in the three months ending on September 30, according to a report filed on Monday with the Federal Election Commission.

Giuliani had $16.6 million left in the bank and Thompson had $7.1 million in cash for their presidential bids, the reports said. All presidential campaigns must file their quarterly financial reports with the FEC by midnight on Monday.

Giuliani, the former New York mayor, leads national opinion polls over Thompson in the race to be the Republican nominee in the November 2008 election. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has been running strong in the key early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

According to figures volunteered by the campaigns earlier in the month, Giuliani led all Republican candidates in the money chase during the last quarter by raising about $11.6 million.

Romney, a wealthy former venture capitalist, was second with about $10 million raised from donors, but loaned his campaign another $8 million out of his own pocket.

Thompson and Giuliani were the first two active candidates in either party to file their FEC reports.

The third quarter, traditionally the toughest period for fund-raising, was the first reporting period in which Giuliani spent more than he raised as he boosted his staff levels and advertising in key states.

The amount of cash left for the candidates is crucial as they head into the final few months before Iowa and New Hampshire cast the first votes, which could come in early January or possibly even December.

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)