The Maine Democratic Party raised almost $1 million between Oct. 1 and Oct. 26.

In financial disclosure reports filed Wednesday, the party reported raising $977,872 and spending $799,653. The biggest chunk of the money went for television advertising.

Disclosure reports were due by 5 p.m. for all state parties, political action committees and candidates.

The biggest contributors to the Democrats were the Democratic Governors Association, which contributed $305,000 during the reporting period, and a number of union groups, which ponied up more than $100,000.

The DGA has been one of the largest contributors to the state party this year with more than $538,000 in contributions.

The successful fundraising “demonstrates the urgency we face,” said Jess Knox, the director of the Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign. “We have three publicly financed candidates who have access to, essentially, $3 million of public resources to attack Democrats.”

The Maine Republican Party reported raising $351,792 during the same period, a little more than a third of what Democrats reported. The largest single contributor to the Republicans was the Republican Governors Association with $200,000. The majority of the rest of the money came from other state Republican groups.

The Republican Governors Association spent more than $400,000 on advertising earlier in the campaign cycle to support Republican nominee Chandler Woodcock and oppose Democratic Gov. John Baldacci.

The disclosure from the Green Independent Party was not available early Wednesday afternoon.

Money everywhere

Rep. Tom Shields, an Auburn Republican, can’t run for re-election this year.

Term limits made sure of that.

But that hasn’t kept him out of the race for District 68.

On Wednesday, Shields reported spending $605 to support the Republican candidate in the race, Michael Beaulieu. Beaulieu is running against Democrat Sheila Desgrosseilliers. Most of that money, $462, went to the Sun Journal for an advertisement.

Shields is far from alone, however, in making independent expenditures this week.

Since Monday, more than $250,000 has been spent by outside groups on Maine’s elections.

Friends and enemies

Proving the axiom that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, the Leadership for Maine’s Future political action committee spent $8,556 on Wednesday in support of six candidates.

The PAC is led by state Rep. Josh Tardy, who is the assistant Republican leader in the House and in line to become speaker if the GOP takes control.

Tardy’s PAC gave support to four Republicans, but it also spent almost $3,000 supporting Green Independent candidates John Eder in House District 118 and Ben Meiklejohn in House District 120.

Eder is an incumbent state representative running against Democrat Jon Hinck in a liberal district. Meiklejohn faces Democrat Anne Rand. There’s no Republican in either race.

Green gains in Portland could pave the way for Speaker Tardy.

All Merrill, all the time

Coming soon to a TV station near you, it’s Saturday (and Sunday and part of Thursday and Friday) with Barbara Merrill.

In a bit of an unusual strategy, the independent gubernatorial candidate says she has bought 20 half-hour blocks of time on TV stations in Bangor and Portland.

She’ll be on the air on Bangor’s Fox affiliate almost all day Saturday and Sunday.

According to Dick Dyer, a spokesman for the campaign, the show will be taped today and feature three segments. In the first, Merrill, a state representative from Appleton, will talk about her vision for Maine. In the second, she will be joined by two other people to talk about the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. The show will conclude with Merrill talking about how her administration will be different from that of her opponents.

“It’s a great way to try to reach out to people through TV,” Dyer said. “A lot of people are trying to decide who to vote for, and they’re looking for something different.”

The strategy is certainly different.

The buys are more affordable than might be expected, Dyer said.

“Some of these buys range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars,” Dyer said.

The first half-hour segment will air at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on WCSH-TV in Portland and will rebroadcast on the station at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Merrill’s show will be on Fox 23 in Portland at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

One political operative not in Merrill’s camp but not working for one of her opponents called the buy an ingenious idea.

“But it’s only halfway executed right now. It all depends on what she does.”