Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina Tuesday said she raised $1.7 million since the beginning of the year in her effort to win the June 8 Senate Republican primary and face Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer this fall.

The money Fiorina has gotten from donors — $2.78 million since she began her campaign last year — only tells part of the story. The former executive has pumped $2.5 million of her own money into the campaign, bringing her total close to $5.3 million.

And with her campaign reporting $2.8 million cash on hand as of March 31, the close of the Federal Elections Commission reporting period, that means Fiorina has so far spent  nearly $2.5 million in her effort to beat former Rep. Tom Campbell and Irvine Assemblyman Chuck DeVore for the GOP nomination.

Fiorina’s fundraising total from donors is $100,000 more than Campbell, who reported  raising $1.6 million in the campaign he began in January.

Boxer, a three-term incumbent, announced Monday that her campaign raised $2.4 million in the first quarter, bringing her fundraising total for the campaign to more than $13 million.

So far no official word from the DeVore campaign on what he has raised although he told a town hall meeting Monday night that he raised about $600,000 during the first quarter. As of the end of 2009 DeVore had raised $1.2 million.

Not a stellar performance but in this down California economy and against an entrenched incumbent in a solid blue state, it is not bad. But, the real story is the amount of cash on hand available to Team Carly and her own deep pockets that can pump in another $2-3 million with the stroke of her pen.

Plus, I look for continued IE (independent expenditure) spending to attack RINO Tom Campbell closer to the election.

On a further note, Carly Fiorina raised in one quarter about what her opponent Chuck DeVore has raised total in over fifteen months. I continue to marvel why DeVore continues in this race. He polls third and is why behind in campaign cash.

Here is a link to the Fiorina news release.