Republican U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart nearly doubled her campaign war chest since the start of the year and has $323,783 available with the fall election still seven months away.

Her campaign coffers dwarf those of the Democratic opponents in the 4th Congressional District who will square off in Tuesday's primary. The nominee will challenge Hart in November.

Hart, 42, of Bradford Woods, Allegheny County, is unopposed in the primary in her bid to win a third term in the district.

The 4th District includes part of southern Butler County, all of Beaver and Lawrence counties, and portions of Allegheny, Mercer and Westmoreland counties.

Candidates in the primary on Thursday filed their latest campaign expense reports for the period of Jan. 1 to March 31.

During the last three months of the year, Hart raised $208,653. Her campaign committee began the year with $250,382 in the bank.

She spent $135,253 during the latest reporting period.

Stevan Drobac Jr., 52, of Center Township, Beaver County, a part-time community college computer instructor and a retired municipal police officer, added just $255 to his coffers since Jan. 1.

He began the year with $97 and spent $25, leaving him with $327, with the primary looming.

Eric Wafer, 36, of Harmony Township, Beaver County, an immigration attorney in Pittsburgh, is challenging Drobac for the Democratic nomination.

Wafer received $8,461 in contributions and spent $6,781, his report showed. His campaign committee had $1,680 at the end of the latest reporting period.

His contributions included $2,531 in personal loans made to his committee.

Wafer's largest contribution was $2,500 from the Pennsylvania Chapter of Young Democrats in Aliquippa, Beaver County.

Most of Hart's contributions, according to her latest quarterly report, came from individuals. Among those most generous donors were $2,000 each from the following:

Maggie Magerko of Belle Vernon, Westmoreland County, president of 84 Lumber Co.; Christine Toretti Olson of Indiana, Indiana, a major Republican fund-raiser and chief executive officer of the S.W. Jack Drilling Co.; Coy Price of New Castle, president of Second Opinion Research.

Other $2,000 donors were Bruce Toll of Rydal, Montgomery County, owner of Toll Brothers Construction Inc.; Rebecca McCough of Pittsburgh, a nurse; and Barbara Ferraccio of Apollo, Armstrong County, a homemaker.

Hart also received a $1,500 contribution from Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy.

Among Hart's largest political action committee contributions were $4,500 from the American Health Care Association PAC; $4,000 from the American Hospital Association PAC, both of Washington; and $2,500 from Highmark Health PAC of Camp Hill, Cumberland County.