CQPolitics is reporting that Democrat Doug Pike has kicked in $510,000 of his own money to finance his run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 6th District.

From a story by reporter Greg Giroux:

Pike, who is vying to succeed Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach, a 2010 candidate for governor, gave his campaign $510,000 in this year's second quarter, or about 77 percent of his total receipts of $664,000. That was the most money raised in the reporting period by a non-incumbent 2010 candidate for the House.

When Pike, a former editorial writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, announced his candidacy in early April, Democratic officials said that he would be willing to part with $1 million of his own money on the race.

Although this is his first run for political office, Pike is a son of former New York Rep. Otis G. Pike (1961-79), a Florida retiree who, according to Giroux, gave $1,000 to his son's campaign.

Pike is the first, and so far, the only announced Democratic candidate, but that won't last much longer. An opportunity to run for an open Congressional seat doesn't come around too often.

The only announced GOP candidate for the 6th Congressional District is Chester County state Rep. Curt Schroder, but the field is expected to increase as we get closer to 2010.

Read the full story, "Personal Money Spikes Pike's Fundraising," at CQPolitics

For more about the Pike, visit his official campaign Web site, www.pikeforcongress.com