COLUMBIA — In the five-way Republican primary for governor, some of the hopefuls were quick to declare victory in the quarterly battle for donor dollars.

Most rushed out press statements touting the various metrics they see as signs their bid is the healthiest in the field.

Between the four who filed their disclosures over the Oct. 11 weekend, a collective $5.09 million in donations was raised from approximately 22,400 entities across the country in the last three months. (Spartanburg state Sen. Josh Kimbrell had not filed as of publication.)

That’s where the dissection starts: Some scrutinize which candidate raised the most money from small donors or who has the largest cash reserves, which some see as the most important number to consider when running in a lengthy, competitive race to

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