First-quarter fundraising numbers continue to trickle in as the Sunday deadline to file reports with the Federal Election Commission approaches.

The first fundraising period of election years offers indications of which candidates are gaining momentum heading into primary season. It’s the last quarterly report before about half the states hold their Congressional primaries.

This is another daily roundup of candidates who released their numbers in the past 24 hours. It’s heavy on Democrats, who are looking to hold the Senate and win back the House majority.

Senate:

• Arizona: Former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona raised $800,000 in his first full quarter as a candidate. He has $1.1 million in cash on hand. The large amount shows that the fundraising prowess he showed in the fourth quarter was more than just low-hanging fruit.
  
  
• Connecticut: Rep. Christopher Murphy (D) brought in $855,000 for his Senate campaign to replace retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman (I). He will report about $3 million in the bank.
• Florida: Two-term Sen. Bill Nelson ended March with more than $9.5 million in the bank after pulling in nearly $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2012. He’s a Democrat in a true swing state, but he retains a strong edge in the contest, which Roll Call rates Leans Democratic. He’ll face the winner of a nasty GOP primary between former Sen. George LeMieux and Rep. Connie Mack IV.
• Texas: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s (R) campaign reported $1.66 million “in individual donations.” The number “surpasses the previous first quarter record for a Texas Senate candidate, previously held by Senator John Cornyn,” the campaign touted in a press release.
• Wisconsin: Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) turned in her strongest fundraising quarter yet in the first three months of the year, posting a $2 million quarterly haul with $2.8 million in cash on hand as of March 31. Baldwin will face one of a handful of Republicans vying for the open seat. So far, former Rep. Mark Neumann is the only one to release his fundraising ($650,000 raised).

House
:

• 
  AZ-01:
  Former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) continues her march to reclaim her former seat. She brought in $307,000 in the first quarter and has $655,000 in cash on hand. Currently, her race is rated as a Tossup.
• CA-07: Physician Ami Bera (D), who outspent Rep. Dan Lungren (R) by $900,000 in 2010 but lost by 7 points, is back with strong fundraising again this cycle in the redrawn district. Bera raised $366,000 in the first quarter and had more than $1.1 million in cash on hand.
• CO-06:  State Rep. Joe Miklosi raised “over $235,000” and has $350,000 in cash on hand. He is running for the Democratic nod to take on Rep. Cory Gardner (R) in the fall.
• MI-01: Former state Rep. Gary McDowell raised $610,000 and has half a million dollars in cash on hand. McDowell will face Rep. Dan Benishek (R) in the fall in a rematch from 2010.
• NV-03: In one of two pickup opportunities for Democrats in the state, Assembly Speaker John Oceguera (D) will report raising $373,000 in the first quarter and has $472,000 in cash on hand. Oceguera is challenging freshman Rep. Joe Heck (R) in the state’s most competitive district.
• PA-08: Attorney Kathy Boockvar (D) announced she raised $331,645 with $250,430 in cash on hand in the first quarter. She is challenging Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R) in the fall.
• TX-23: State Rep. Pete Gallego raised about $300,000 and has $290,000 in cash on hand. He faces former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez in the Democratic primary. The winner will take on Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco (R) in the most closely watched House race in the Lone Star State.
• WA-10: Former state Rep. Denny Heck (D) raised $400,000 in the first quarter and had $933,000 in cash on hand. He is favored to win Washington’s new district, which is based in Olympia’s Thurston County.