Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine today announced raising more than $1.6 million in the fourth quarter, leaving the Democrat with $3.3 million on hand for his competitive Senate race at the start of 2012.

The strong quarter boosted Kaine’s total fundraising in 2011 to more than $5.2 million from more than 12,000 donors. He entered the race to replace retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D) in early April.

Former Sen. George Allen (R), the favorite to take on Kaine in the general election, previously announced raising $1.1 million in the fourth quarter, with more than $2 million left in the bank.

“I am particularly proud of our smart spending in the early stages of this campaign,” said Kaine, who noted that ads from outside groups have already begun pouring onto the Virginia airwaves. “Smart spending will ensure we have the resources we need to compete in the home stretch of this campaign.”

Roll Call rates this race a Tossup.