Two Democratic candidates seeking to challenge U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R-4th, are neck-and-neck in campaign fundraising with less than four weeks until the primary.

Still, the war chests of Georgia Berner and Jason Altmire are each about one-quarter to one-fifth the size of Hart's, according to recent campaign expense reports.

U.S. Rep. Phil English, R-3rd, meanwhile, continues to rack up a big lead in the dash for campaign cash over his expected Democratic opponent come fall.

Candidates in the May 16 primary had until the end of last week to file with the Federal Election Commission their latest quarterly expense reports ending March 31.

The only contested primary race in the two congressional districts that include Butler County is in the 4th, which comprises a small part of southern Butler as well as all of Beaver and Lawrence counties and portions of Allegheny, Mercer and Westmoreland counties.

Berner of Zelienople, the owner of a New Castle-based business, and Altmire, of McCandless, Allegheny County, a former UPMCexecutive, are seeking the Democratic nomination.

Hart of Bradford Woods, Allegheny County, who is seeking her fourth term, is unopposed in the GOP primary.

Berner had $170,018 left in her campaign coffers as of the March 31, while Altmire had $113,629 in cash, their reports showed.

Both Democrats took in comparable contributions over the past three months, with Berner adding $89,245 and Altmire collecting $72,799. Berner's donations included $25,000 in loans; Altmire loaned his campaign $8,500.

During the past quarter, Berner outspent Altmire by a 2-to-1 margin. That gap is even bigger when the entire election cycle is considered.

Since last year, Berner has spent about $260,000 compared to nearly $72,600 spent by Altmire.

Among Berner's largest contributors since Jan. 1 is former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer of Pittsburgh, who donated $2,200 to the candidate's campaign, according to her committee report.

Hafer's daughter, Bethany Hafer, also of Pittsburgh, meanwhile, gave $2,000 to Berner's committee.

Altmire's most generous contributors for the quarter were political action committees representing organized labor. He received a $5,000 donation from the United Steelworkers Political Action Fund of Pittsburgh.

The candidate's committee also got $3,500 from the Ironworkers Political Action League of Pittsburgh, and $2,000 from the Boilermakers-Blacksmiths Legislative Education-Action Program of Kansas City, Kan.

Hart's campaign coffers, with about seven months to go until the fall election, had $668,893 as of March 31, her report showed.

Her campaign, since last year, has raised nearly $1 million and spent $518,000.

During the first quarter of the year, Hart took in $152,536 and spent $84,499. Her largest contributor in that period was the Preservation of Capitalism Committee of Alexandria, Va., a Republican PAC, which gave $10,000.

The Promoting Republicans You Can Elect PAC of Washington, D.C., another GOPpolitical action committee, gave Hart $5,000; and the Ernst &Young PAC of Washington, D.C., gave $7,500.

In the 3rd District, English of Erie is the only Republican, and Steven Porter of Wattsburg, Erie County, a retired college professor, is the lone Democrat on the primary ballot.

The two will battle it out in November, as they did two years ago when English defeated Porter by a 60 percent to 40 percent margin.

The district includes most of Butler County, all of Erie County, and parts of Armstrong, Crawford, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties.

English had $297,768 in his war chest while Porter had $18,925, at the end of March, their reports showed.

Since last year, English, who is seeking a seventh term, has raised $600,429 and spent $432,732. Political action committees account for nearly two-thirds of his contributions.

Porter during the election cycle has raised $24,024, primarily from individual donors, and spent $17,833.

During the first three months of this year, English's campaign committee collected $75,382. His largest contribution in that period was $5,000 from the AFLACPACof Washington, D.C.

English also got $3,500 from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists PAC and $2,500 from the Air Line Pilots Association PAC, both of Washington, D.C.

Porter's committee in the first quarter received $11,002 in contributions. Among his most generous donors, all who gave $1,000 each, were Kevin Caridad of Seven Fields, Len Schoettker of Connoquenessing, Robert Cogan of Edinboro and Ira Gumberg of Pittsburgh.