HELENA -- U.S. Sen. Max Baucus has shattered a Montana political fundraising record, racking up $6.1 million in total donations and other receipts through June 30, including $1.6 million the past three months, a campaign-finance report showed Thursday.

The Democrat reported spending $2.1 million so far, including $198,419 the past three months, his latest campaign-finance report said. That leaves Baucus with about $4 million left in the bank as of June 30, 16 months before the November 2008 election.

Baucus, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, has not yet officially announced he will be a candidate for a sixth, six-year Senate term, despite garnering campaign money at a record clip for Montana.

"He's the Finance chairman; his fund-raising is going to be good,'' said Jennifer Duffy, senior editor of the Cook Political Report in a phone interview. "He also probably realizes it probably dissuades any serious challenger. He's doing what he needs to do.''

In its latest rating as of June 27, the Cook Political Report, an independent, nonpartisan newsletter that analyses races, ranked the 2008 Montana Senate race in the "solid Democrat'' category. The newsletter does not consider Baucus' re-election race to be competitive, nor is it likely to become closely contested.

So far, Baucus has only one challenger, state Rep. Michael Lange, R-Billings.

Baucus is proud to have received donations from all 56 Montana counties and has ''an army of supporters across the state focused on returning him to the Senate in 2008,'' spokesman Barrett Kaiser said.

"He's got the support of folks representing firefighters, farmers and ranchers, teachers and small business owners,'' Kaiser said. "Max is stronger than he's ever been. His popularity shows that he's using his seniority to do what's right for Montana.''

The report summary did not break down what percentage of the money came from Montanans versus out-of-state residents.

For years, Baucus and former Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., routinely broke each other's campaign fundraising records when each was up for election.

As of June 30, 2005, Burns had raised about $3.2 million with 16 months before the election, compared with Baucus' $6.1 million at the same point in his current campaign.

Burns, who lost to Democrat Jon Tester, went on to raise $9.3 million for his entire 2006 race, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign finances. Baucus raised $6.7 million in his 2002 race, it reported..

The summary pages of his current campaign finance report show Baucus snagged $2.93 million in donations from individuals, including $820,528 the past three months.

Political action committees, or PACs, have ponied up $2.87 million so far, including $696,686 the past three months. PACs are groups of people from a business, union or other special-interest group that pool their money for donations to candidates.

Montana Republican Party Chairman Erik Iverson of Missoula said he isn't surprised Baucus is raising ''huge sums of money'' because as Senate Finance chairman, Baucus ranks as "one of the top recipients of special-interest PAC dollars.

"Money doesn't buy you a new voting record,'' Iverson said. "No matter how much money Senator Baucus has in the bank doesn't change the fact that he has voted to give Social Security benefits to illegal aliens. He's voted to raise taxes. Senator Baucus' voting record is going to be what's front and center in the U.S. Senate race, not how much money he has in his bank account.''

In response, Kaiser said, "Max is proud of his record of accomplishment in the U.S. Senate. and we're prepared to defend that record.'' Baucus was the "architect of the largest tax cut in the generation'' and "staunchly opposed the most recent immigration bill before the U.S. Senate,'' Kaiser said.