Democratic Senate candidate Andrew Gounardes released his top line totals this afternoon, showing that he’s raised $197,000 over the last six months and has $155,000 in the bank to further his bid against Republican Sen. Marty Golden.

In a news release, Gounardes touted that a broad percentage of the money raised came fomr 775 individual donors.

“$25 coming from a retiree or $50 from a teacher really means a lot to me,” he said in a statement. “It’s those kind of donations that motivate me to work harder every day–not big checks from special interests or corporations.”

He added, “”First and foremost, by raising my money from within the district and from everyday, working class voters, I am showing who I’ll be working for while in Albany. And by knocking on doors and seeking out input directly from those voters, they know they will have a Senator who is finally listening to them, not just the special interests and corporations.”

Gounardes’ campaign has also worked to maximize their advantage after Golden’s office advertised an ill-fated ettiquette class for female job seekers, which was later cancelled after a chorus of criticism and derision.

Still, Golden, who is yet to file his July report, is expected to have a leg up on fundraising as do most Senate Republicans.

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