Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts is substantially outraising his Democratic opponents in his campaign for an eighth term in Congress, new finance reports show.

So why are Democrats pleased?

Here's one reason: Challenger Lois Herr is on pace to surpass her 2006 fundraising total of more than $313,000, a substantial if not record amount for a Democratic congressional candidate here.

READ: Pitts' year-end campaign finance report
READ: Herr's year-end campaign finance report

"This is a grass-roots campaign," Herr campaign manager Greg Paulson said. "We are not looking, or going out and trying to get, money from political action committees, and no PACs are coming to us."

The GOP lawmaker's campaign committee, Friends of Joe Pitts, brought in $89,189 and spent $49,565 from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, according to its finance report.

Pitts has raised a total of $261,820 during this entire election cycle and had $221,817 on hand at the beginning of the year, giving him a solid, if unsurprising, financial edge in this year's race.

About 54 percent of the contributions this reporting period, or $48,039, came from individuals. The remaining 46 percent, or $41,150, came from political-action committees, according to the report.

To date over the entire course of the election cycle, however, about 60 percent of Pitts' campaign money has come from PACs, and 40 percent from individual contributors.

Herr has repeatedly criticized the proportion of Pitts campaign money that comes from PACs, saying it proves he is more in touch with special interests than with constituents in the 16th Congressional District.

Herr's campaign, meanwhile, has collected nearly all its contributions from individuals — a fact Pitts aides have suggested shows PACs don't want to "waste money on a losing campaign."

Herr's campaign committee, Herr 2010, raised $36,995 and spent $25,513 from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, according to its finance report. That's less than half of the incumbent's take during the same period.

Herr has raised a total of $113,625 during this election cycle and had $39,930 on hand Jan. 1, less than a fifth the amount Pitts has to spend.

The new campaign finance reports show that both Pitts and Herr have stepped up fundraising, though the increase in the Democrat's pace is more dramatic.

Herr, who has challenged Pitts twice before, is raising money at a pace nearly double that of her most recent campaign, in 2006.

At this point four years ago her campaign had collected $64,584 in contributions, and she raised a total of $313,572 for that campaign.

At this point two years ago, Pitts had raised only $222,249 for his 2008 re-election campaign, about 17 percent or $38,571 less than he has in this cycle. Pitts raised $625,290 during his 2008 re-election campaign.

Pitts spent $621,729 on his 2008 re-election campaign — a record for him — and received 56 percent of the vote, according to federal data. Pitts' Democratic challenger, Bruce Slater, spent $88,274 and got 39 percent.

A second Democratic candidate this year, Lancaster businessman John J. McClure, verbally joined the race in late December and said he could raise at least $1.5 million.

But, to date, he hasn't begun raising money and hasn't filed a campaign statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission.

The primary is May 18.

The Lancaster County Democratic Committee meets on Feb. 20 to endorse candidates, though McClure has said he would run regardless of whether he got the party backing.

The committee is holding a debate between McClure and Herr on Feb. 13 at party headquarters at 53. N. Duke St. It begins at 11 a.m.

The 16th district covers Lancaster County, southern Chester County and a small portion of Berks County, including the city of Reading.

tmurse@lnpnews.com