WASHINGTON – Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd, and his likely Democratic opponent, Tom Hayhurst, entered the campaign year on equal terms in one area -- money.

The two candidates said their campaigns were within a few thousand dollars of each other when the books closed Dec. 31 -- Souder had $165,698 on hand; Hayhurst’s campaign had $170,949.

Hayhurst announced in mid-August that he wants a rematch with Souder, who won their 2006 contest with 54 percent of the vote and hopes to be re-elected this year to a ninth two-year term.

No other Democrats have announced plans to run in the Democratic Party primary May 4. Souder, however, will face three announced opponents in the GOP primary.

Three Republicans -- Fort Wayne resident Phil Troyer, Auburn resident Rachel Grubb and Garrett resident Charles Newman -- have declared their candidacies against Souder in the GOP primary. None of their year-end campaign reports are on file with the Federal Election Commission yet.

Candidates are not required to report their financial activity until they have raised or spent $5,000. Candidates who do not expect to raise or spend $50,000 may file reports through the mail rather than electronically. Deadline for mailing or filing electronically was midnight Sunday.

According to the year-end report, in October through December, Souder collected $42,412 from political action committees and $62,066 from individuals. Since the end of the 2008 election, he has raised $151,040 from PACs and $179,472 from individuals.

PACs may contribute $5,000 per election for a total of $10,000 for the primary and November contests. Individuals may donate up to $2,400 for each election.

In the last three months of 2009 Souder received $5,000 from Honeywell International; $2,000 apiece from American Electric Power (for a total of $4,000), Barrett For Congress, Boeing ($5,000), National Rifle Association ($3,000) and Raytheon ($5,000); and $1,500 apiece from American College of Radiology ($3,500), Associated Builders and Contractors ($2,500).

He received $1,000 apiece from American College of Radiology Association ($3,500), AMO, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association ($2,000), Anheuser-Busch, AT&T ($5,000), lobbying firm Greenberg Traurig, International Association of Fire Fighters, ITT Industries ($5,000), lobbying firm King & Spalding, Louis Dreyfus Corp., Manufactured Housing Institute, campaign committee of Rep. Mike Pence, Motorola Inc., National Association of Car Dealers, National Association of Broadcasters, Nisource ($3,000), Nuclear Energy Institute, Physician Hospitals Of America ($2,000), National Association of Realtors, Sallie Mae Inc. ($5,000), Syngenta Corp., United Egg Association and Xcel Energy.

He received $500 from Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.

Souder reported that from October through December he received $2,400 apiece from Dr. John Crawford and H. Douglas Schrock of Syracuse, chief executive officer of Smoker Craft Inc.; $2,000 apiece from William Haldewang of Syracuse, owner of Indian Coated Fabrics, and Robert Taylor, president of Do It Best Corp.; and $1,500 from James Shea of Mishawaka, executive with Fairmount Homes Inc..

He received $1,000 apiece from Michael Albertson, investment adviser with Tradewell Tax and Financial ($1,100); retiree Howard Chapman; Sonya Emerick of Columbia City, owner of Micropulse Inc.; Dr. Kelly Ferrell; David Haist of Grabill, executive vice president of Do It Best Corp.($2,000); Addison Johnson Jr., owner of Leisure Lawn ($1,900); Bruce Leetz of Valparaiso, beer distributor for North Coast Distributing; Dr. R. V. Mantravadi ($1,600); Robert Mazer of Chicago, White Sox owner ($2,000); Richard Wilkerson of Greenville, S.C., president of Michelin North America Inc.; and Stan Ziherl of Columbia City, president of Five Star Distributing ($2,300).

He received $600 apiece from retiree Thomas Herendeen ($1,700); Gregg Kiess, chief executive officer of Northeastern REMC ($1,800); and Dr. Andre Zajac of Saint John.

He received $500 apiece from Michael Boisvenue of Arlington, Va., federal government employee; Wilbur Bontrager of Middlebury, chief executive officer of JAYCO Inc. ($1,000); Daniel Coats of Falls Church, Va., lobbyist and former senator; Angela Flood of Alexandria, Va., lobbyist; Kay Gramm of Bremen, Plymouth Farm Center Inc. bookkeeper ($1,250); attorney John Hammond of Indianapolis ($1,500); Naomi Jewett, secretary-treasurer of Auto-Collision Services ($2,000); Karen Anne Johnson of Alexandria, Va., employment information not provided; John Popp, president of Perfection Bakeries Inc. ($600); Thomas Reilly Jr. of Indianapolis, chairman of Reilly Industries; Jim Richards, McLean, Va., chairman of Cornerstone Government Affairs; Norman T. Rolf, general manager of Rolf/Griffin Heating & Air Conditioning; homemaker Jeanette Schouweiler; Douglas Smoker of Goshen, president of Smoker Craft; homemaker Mary Jo Troxel of Bluffton; and homemaker Joyce Williams.

From October to December, Hayhurst collected $91,627, almost all -- $77,127 -- from individuals. Since he began raising money in midsummer, Hayhurst collected $18,800 from political parties and PACs and $164,024 from individuals.

During the three-month period, Hayhurst received $5,000 from the United Auto Workers, $4,000 from the 3rd District Breakfast Club, $2,300 from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and $500 from the International Union of Operating Engineers.

He received $2,400 apiece from homemaker Asifa Salam of Huntertown and Dr. Gohar Salam of Huntertown; $1,250 from Leonard Helfrich, grant director for Indiana Foundation; and $1,212 from Matthew Henry, president of Patterson Riegel.

He received $1,000 apiece from Dr. Shashi Ahuja; Dr. Seethharamaiah Atluri; attorney John Bloom; Kathryn Callen, trustee of the University of St. Francis; retiree William Clark; Brian Crowl, owner of Playfair Shuffleboard; Dr. James Dozier; retiree Fred Eckart; Daniel Gerson of Brooklyn, N.Y., media and alumni coordinator of Jewish Child Care Association; attorney Daniel Graly; Chris Henry, owner of C. Henry Steel; Jerome Henry, owner of Midwest Pipe and Steel; retiree Diane Mackel of Huntertown; Dr. Jerry Mackel of Huntertown; Dr. Scott Miller; Dr. Sreenivasa Nattam; Dr. Mark O'Shaughnessy; retiree Arvind Patel; Dr. David Pollifrone; Dr. H. N. Ramaprakash; attorney Stephen Rothberg; Dr. Rhys Rudolph; Dr. David Sorg; Dr. John Stanford; Dr. Leslie Swartz-Williams; Dr. Jonathan Walker; attorney John Walley; and Robert Young, municipal services representative of National Serv-All.

He received $750 from Daniel Zweig, financial adviser with Wells Fargo Advisors; and $600 from Stephen Smith, manager of Allied Physicians.

Hayhurst received $500 apiece from Dr. Sanjiv Aggarwal; Dr. Yogeshi Amin; retiree Alice Barile; Dr. Robert Barnes; retiree Ravi Bathina of Los Altos Hills, Calif.; attorney H. Bix Benson; retiree Peter Blichert; Dr. Paul Blusys of Leo-Cedarville; retiree Janet Bradbury; attorney Philip Burt; artist Jane Caldwell of Roanoke; Dr. Ron Caldwell; retiree Elizabeth Chapman; Dr. Steve Fisher; Dr. Alan Gilbert; Barbara Gilbert of Barbara's New Beginnings; Dr. Janet Hagedorn of Bonita Springs, Fla.; P.R. Hariharan, engineer with Raytheon Lynda Horton, teacher; attorney N. Thomas Horton; Dr. Sanjay Jain; Kris Jensen, social worker; retiree Robert Jensen; homemaker Anne Ladowski; retiree William LaSalle of Leo-Cedarville; retiree Eleanor Marine; Dr. Alan McGee; retiree Michele McGee; Dr. C. Joe Ottinger; retiree Sarah Rozar of Eatonton, Ga.; Joseph Ruffolo, managing partner of Ruffolo Benson; Michael Schatzlein, CEO of Lutheran Health; retiree Cynthia Schmidt; retiree Richard Schwartz; retiree C. David Silletto; attorney Kathleen Silliman; retiree Diana Sowards; retiree Alfred Stovall; attorney David Van Gilder of Huntertown; and Paul Wehrenberg of Palo Alto, Calif., manager of Apple Computer.

sylviasmith@jg.net