Incumbent Statehouse candidates are enjoying sizeable financial advantages over their challengers going into the last few weeks of the 2008 campaign.

Reps. Cindy Winckler and Jim Lykam, both Davenport Democrats, led their Republican challengers, according to new financial disclosure reports.

The reports were due this week.

Winckler raised $10,687 between July 15 and Oct. 14, while her opponent, Republican Joe Sturgis of Davenport, had raised $1,718.

Winckler spent $10,515, while Sturgis only spent $75.

The incumbent still held a lead in cash on hand going into the final weeks, however. Winckler had $8,681 in the bank, compared with $2,174 for Sturgis.

The two are competing for the District 86 seat, which includes much of southwest Davenport, as well as some neighborhoods east and west of Brady Street south of Kimberly Road.

In District 85, meanwhile, Lykam leads challenger Linda Greenlee, a Republican from Davenport.

Lykam raised $26,580 in the three-month period, while Greenlee took in $5,762.

He also outspent her, $26,404 to $1,486. Lykam also held a lead in cash in the bank, $13,529 to $5,437.

District 85 includes neighborhoods roughly between Brady and Fairmount streets north of

Kimberly Road and  Marquette and Fairmount south of Kimberly.

In the District 83 contest, incumbent Steve Olson, R-DeWitt, has raised $23,185. He spent $28,683 and had $8,547 in the bank, according to the reports.

A report for Olson’s Democratic opponent, Steve Smith of DeWitt, had not been posted Thursday by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.

The district includes the areas in and around Princeton, LeClaire, Donahue, Long Grove and much of rural Clinton County.

Ed Tibbetts can be contacted at (563) 383-2327 or etibbetts@qctimes.com.

Braley raises $1M

U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, passed the $1 million mark in fundraising in his reelection bid, according to new financial reports due Thursday.

The reports are the last to be filed before Election Day, Nov. 4.

Braley raised $76,583 in the first two weeks of October,  according to the filing, bringing his total since Jan. 1, 2007, to $1.02 million.

He’s spent $676,000 in that time period and went into the final days of the campaign with $426,506 in the bank.

Braley is being challenged by state Sen. David Hartsuch, R-Bettendorf, who raised $4,405 during the two week period, bringing his total for the cycle to $46,223.

He’s spent $35,755 during the campaign and had $10,486 in the bank.

— Ed Tibbetts