John Thune (Getty)

South Dakota Sen. John Thune looks to be in the drivers seat in his 2010 re-election bid , thanks in part to his bulging bank account.

Thune announced Wednesday that his campaign raised $880,687 in the first quarter of 2009, giving him $4.4 million in cash on hand. “We had a successful first quarter, and we will continue the necessary work of raising the resources we need to prepare for a competitive election in 2010,” Thune said in a release announcing the haul.  

The first-term Republican, who upset Majority Leader Tom Daschle in a fierce contest in 2004, has no declared challengers yet. His toughest prospective Democratic opponent, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin , seems to be leaning toward a governor’s race if she runs for statewide office.