Paul raises $5 million in third quarter

While fundraising totals usually drop in the third quarter, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) bucked the trend and more than doubled his second-quarter haul with more than $5 million raised.

{mosads}Paul, who remains a long shot to win the Republican nomination, has run an impressive insurgent campaign with strong support from the Internet community. In the last week of the quarter, his supporters donated $1.2 million online.

“Dr. Paul’s message is freedom, peace and prosperity,” the chairman of the campaign, Kent Snyder, said. “As these fundraising numbers show, more Americans each day are embracing Dr. Paul’s message.”

Paul, who has $5.3 million cash on hand, now has his sights set even higher.

The campaign has set a goal of getting $12 million in contributions for the fourth quarter.

Fundraising in the third quarter slowed for most candidates other than Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), but in terms of growth, nobody was as successful as Paul.