Washington (AP) -- Another Republican candidate running in northeast Missouri's 9th Congressional District primary is pouring his own money into the race.

Former state tourism director Blaine Luetkemeyer lent his campaign $325,000 last month, seeking to keep pace with state Rep. Bob Onder of Lake St. Louis.

Onder lent his campaign $250,000 earlier this year and has said he may throw even more into the race.

Luetkemeyer, of St. Elizabeth, has already spent much of the loan as his campaign ramped up TV advertising this month. He reported just $71,300 cash on hand and spent $326,000 over the last 3 1/2 months, according to his campaign finance report filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.

Five Republicans and four Democrats are vying to replace Republican Rep. Kenny Hulshof, who is running for governor. The sprawling 9th District includes Columbia and extends to the western edge of the St. Louis metro area, western St. Charles County and Franklin County south of the Missouri River.

Among Democrats in the 9th District primary, former Missouri House Speaker and Public Service Commission member Steve Gaw said he lent $100,000 to his campaign this month. That was in addition to $107,000 raised during the second quarter. He ended the period with about $40,000 cash on hand.

Gaw's loan kept him competitive with Democratic state Rep. Judy Baker, of Columbia, who raised $188,481 in the period and had cash on hand of $139,514. Baker has raised more than any other Democratic 9th District candidate so far in the election cycle.

Fueled by their own cash, Luetkemeyer and Onder have far outpaced their GOP rivals in the money race. Onder had $350,000 cash on hand as of July 1, which included about $90,000 raised from April 1 to June 30.

"While money alone does not win elections, additional resources will help us remind people of Blaine's positive vision for the people of the 9th District," Luetkemeyer campaign spokesman Paul Sloca said. Sloca said the extra cash would be used to respond to what he called Onder's distortions of Luetkemeyer's record.

In another closely watched race in northwest Missouri's 6th Congressional District, Democratic congressional challenger Kay Barnes raised nearly twice as much money as incumbent GOP Rep. Sam Graves over the latest reporting period.

Together, both candidates have raised nearly $4 million in a race where the candidates have traded nasty barbs on local TV stations.

Barnes, the former Kansas City mayor, raised $601,000 over the past 3 1/2 months, compared to $330,000 for Graves. She reports $962,000 in cash on hand, while Graves reports $936,000 in the bank.

Graves, a farmer from Tarkio, is among more than a dozen House Republicans whom Democrats have targeted as vulnerable this year.

Meanwhile, in the 9th District primary, other candidates were filing their latest campaign finance reports Thursday before the midnight deadline while some had filed earlier this month.

Among Republicans:

--Former University of Missouri football star Brock Olivo, of Hermann, reported raising $51,300, of which $30,000 was a personal loan. He had about $35,000 on hand.

--State Rep. Danie Moore, of Fulton, raised about $65,000 from April 1 to June 30. She also spent $45,000 and had $37,728 cash on hand.

Among Democrats:

--Marion County Presiding Commissioner Lyndon Bode took in $43,282 and had $5,466 cash on hand.

--Former Senate Minority Leader Ken Jacob, of Columbia pulled in $24,340 from April 1 to June 30 and spent roughly the same amount. He had $73,415 in the bank.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)