U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt has outraised his Democratic rival, Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, according to the latest campaign-finance reports due later this week. But the gap in their bank accounts is closing.

Copies of their official summary sheets due Friday — but made available early to St. Louis Public Radio — show that Blunt collected $2.3 million during the last three months, compared to $1.75 million for Kander.

Blunt, a Republican, now has an edge of a little less than two-to-one in their overall bank accounts.  Blunt has close to $7 million in the bank, compared to almost $4 million for Kander.

But that's closer -- percentage-wise -- than their earlier reports. In January, for example, Blunt reported $5 million in the bank, compared to only $2.1 million for Kander.

Part of the reason is that Blunt, in office since 2011, is spending more. During the past three months, for example, his campaign spent almost $1.04 million, compared to $734,408 for Kander.

Neither man has a serious primary challenger, so both are focusing on the Nov. 8 general election.

The Missouri contest for the U.S. Senate is among the top political battles in the country, and could determine which party gains control of that chamber in January.

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