Campaign Fundraising Deadline Tonight

Both presidential and congressional campaigns are pushing for online donations today ahead of the midnight first-quarter fundraising deadline.

Barack Obama’s campaign is offering a dinner with Obama for four lucky donors who contribute this quarter. Hillary Clinton sent out an e-mail urging supporters to give as few as $5 to help her reach a goal of $3 million for the final drive before the deadline.

Though Clinton has raised more than $2.5 million just from her latest online push, she’s unlikely to raise more than Obama for the quarter. Obama in February and January had raised about $55 million , nearly $20 million more than Clinton had, according to campaign finance reports.

John McCain has had the least fundraising success of the three remaining candidates, raising less than $11 million during the year’s first two months. The Arizona Republican has yet to tap into big-money GOP donors that George W. Bush relied on during his two campaigns for the White House, the New York Times reported today.

In races for Senate, Democrats are seeking to buffet their campaign advantage with online contributions.

For instance, in Louisiana, where Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) could face a stiff test from Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy, Landrieu is hoping to raise $50,000 in a final online push. She has already raised $6.5 million for her reelection campaign, almost $4 million more than Kennedy has.