Kirk Caldwell led all mayoral candidates in fundraising for the first six months of 2010 and heads into the final 48 days of the campaign with $295,000 left to spend.

Caldwell, the former city managing director who became acting mayor on July 20, raised $303,000 in the first half of the year and raised $645,000 for the campaign so far, according to finance reports filed yesterday with the state Campaign Spending Commission. His total includes a $50,000 loan from himself.

Former Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle was a close second, having raised $215,000 during the reporting period. He has raised $303,000 for the campaign and still has $248,000 with no campaign debt.

University of Hawaii engineering professor Panos Prevedouros and City Councilman Rod Tam also are running in the winner-take-all special election to fill the final two years in the term vacated by Mufi Hannemann.

The vote is being held in conjunction with the Sept. 18 primary election.

"There may be other candidates in the race who at this point are better known, but between these fundraising numbers and the endorsements he has received … it is evident that acting Mayor Caldwell is the candidate with the support needed to win," Kim Devlin, Caldwell’s campaign manager, said in a news release.

Caldwell also was the top spender in the six-month reporting period, using $285,000 on ads, research and other campaign-related expenses. Carlisle, who served as prosecutor from 1996 until last month, when he resigned to run for mayor, spent $39,000.

"Clearly, with 48 days there’s enough right now to get us almost to the finish line, but not enough," Carlisle said. "Frankly, since he’s raised more than us, I think we should continue our efforts to raise as much as possible.

"We have to fight right to the bitter end, and that’s what we’re going to do."

Prevedouros raised $34,000 in the first six months of 2010 and has $19,000 on hand, with about $10,000 in campaign debt.

The UH professor is in his second mayoral campaign, after having come up short in the primary two years ago.

"It’s much tougher," he said of the current campaign. "The donors are coming but with much smaller amounts.

Prevedouros said he hopes to raise $100,000 for the campaign to break even.

Tam’s spending report was not online by late yesterday afternoon. Candidates had until midnight to file their reports.

(For the reports, go to: https://nc.csc.hawaii.gov/CFSPublic/ReportList.php