It’s not likely that the Democratic candidates will out-perform the Republican field in the South Carolina presidential primary money race – although nationally Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are fundraising machines – but the Associated Press noted Thursday that the separation between the parties is smaller than before.

South Carolina Democrats appear to be narrowing a gap in fundraising, pulling within $90,000 of the money collected by the state Republican Party, federal and state campaign finance reports show.

But Democrats also are a half-million dollars behind the GOP in cash on hand as presidential primaries approach in January and the general election looms in 16 months.

In the second quarter, Democrats raised $248,649 for their state accounts and Republicans collected $175,154 as both parities put on their biggest fundraising efforts of the year, according to financial filings the state Ethics Commission released Thursday.

However, Republicans – with a sitting governor, two U.S. senators and four of six U.S. House seats – continued to outpace Democrats in federal campaign cash raised. In April and May, the most recent months available, the GOP raised $421,984 compared with $258,049 raised by Democrats.

Combined, Democrats raised $506,698 and Republicans raised $597,138. But Democrats had a total of $227,005 in state and federal money on hand, or about a third of the GOP’s $759,335. [JIM DAVENPORT - AP]