BANGOR (AP) – The next U.S. Senate election is more than 15 months away, but Republican incumbent Olympia Snowe has already raised more than $1.2 million, putting her on track for a record.

Fellow Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins raised upwards of $4 million in her 2002 re-election bid against Democrat Chellie Pingree, who raised more than $3 million. That race broke Maine’s spending records for a Senate seat.

Snowe spent roughly $2.5 million in 2000 when she got 69 percent of the vote in beating Democrat Mark Lawrence to win a second term.

Campaign finance reports filed last week with the Federal Election Commission for the three months ending June 30 show that Snowe raised almost half of her $1.2 million total during that period.

The only other Senate candidate from Maine to rival Snowe’s total at this stage in a campaign was former Democratic Majority Leader George Mitchell, who had $1.7 million on hand before announcing that he would not run in 1994.

“Senator Snowe is pleased with the strong early showing of support and is preparing to run a vigorous campaign,” said John Richter, Snowe’s chief of staff.

University of Maine political scientist Amy Fried said Snowe’s fund-raising prowess is less important than her high approval ratings, which hover around 70 percent.

Fried said Snowe’s ratings, coupled with the recent financial disclosure, could dissuade potential Democratic challengers from taking her on.

Rich Pelletier, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, disagreed, saying a candidate who has spent so many years in Washington would be expected to raise a lot of cash. He said Snowe’s financial wherewithal would not affect the party’s plan to issue a strong challenge.

“There are Democrats who are grateful for Olympia’s service, but they also know a vote for her is a vote for the radical right agenda, whether she votes that way all the time or not,” Pelletier said.

Author and organic farmer Jean Hay Bright, the only Democrat in the race thus far, reported raising about $5,500 in the latest three-month period.