U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson has a campaign war chest of more than $1.2 million, according to routine first quarter financial reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Wednesday was the deadline for congressmen to file financial reports for the first three months of 2009.

Thompson, a Democrat, is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He was elected to Congress in 1993 from Mississippi’s Second District.

Thompson’s FEC filing showed he raised $82,886 for the period and spent $156,874.

Rep. Travis Childers, a Democrat from the First District, collected $205,331 in contributions in the first three months of the year and spent $52,122. Childers also lent his campaign $150,000 in the first quarter, records showed.

Childers had $182,548 in cash on hand.

Childers and Republican Gregg Harper of the Third District are in their first terms in Congress.

Harper reported contributions of $14,250 for the period with expenditures of $9,291. Harper had $22,234 in cash on hand.

Democrat Gene Taylor, first elected in 1989, reported cash on hand of $184,171. Taylor listed contributions of $33,150 and expenditures of $49,590.

On the Net:

Federal Election Commission, http://www.fec.gov