U.S. Senator Barack Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, raised 25 million U.S. dollars in the first quarter this year for his 2008 presidential bid, his campaign said on Wednesday.

The money raised by the first-term senator was just 1 million dollars less than Senator Hillary Clinton, from New York, an early front-runner seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

According to Obama's campaign, it had more than 100,000 donors and 6.9 million dollars was raised through the Internet.

Former Senator John Edwards, a Democrat from North Carolina, raised at least 14 million dollars during the first three months this year.

On the Republican side, Mitt Romney, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, reported on Monday that he had raised 23 million dollars in fundraising during the three-month period, leading Republican rivals for the party's presidential nomination.

Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor, raised 15 million dollars from January to March.

The candidates must report their fundraising totals to the Federal Election Commission by April 15.