Obama raises more than $40 million in March

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) continued to rake in the dough in March, raising more than $40 million last month, his campaign announced Thursday.

{mosads}The campaign said the sum was raised on the strength of 442,000 donors, 218,000 of which contributed for the first time.

The March figure is a dip from Obama’s record-setting $55 million February but up from the $35 million he raised in January. That means that the Illinois senator has taken in a staggering average of $1.4 million per day this year.

Obama’s chief rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) posted $35 million for February, but her aides said Thursday morning she won’t release her March totals until the disclosure deadline, which is close to the April 22 Pennsylvania primary.