Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell edged former Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle in fundraising over the past two months, but Carlisle has a sizable lead in cash on hand left for the stretch in the race for mayor.

Caldwell raised $256,433 from July 1 to Sept. 3, and has $12,458 on hand, his campaign reported.

Carlisle raised $210,931 in that same period, but still has $84,304 left to spend, according to his spending report, filed yesterday with the state Campaign Spending Commission.

University of Hawaii engineering professor Panos Prevedouros raised $95,536. City Councilman Rod Tam’s report was not immediately available.

Candidates had until midnight to file their reports with the state Campaign Spending Commission.

The special election to fill the final two years in the term vacated by Mufi Hannemann is set for Sept. 18.

"We have a reserve (of) 80-plus thousand dollars, which will hopefully take us to the end and prepare us if there are any more of the negatively oriented campaign distributions," Carlisle said, referring to a recent television ad taken out by Caldwell. "I think that we’ve got to be prepared for more of that kind of stuff, unfortunately."

For the election cycle to date, Carlisle has raised $501,198.

Caldwell has raised $837,057 for the election cycle, but has spent most of the money on research and ads trying to raise his profile and name recognition.

"Once again I am humbled by all of the support I am getting for my campaign and pleased that we will have the resources to communicate the breadth and depth of my experience, my record and my values that will enable me to continue to lead our city," Caldwell said in a statement.

A Star-Advertiser/Hawaii News Now poll taken last month showed Carlisle with a virtual 2-to-1 lead over Caldwell, with Prevedouros in third.

Prevedouros has raised $136,657 in the election cycle — much of it from solid Republican donors — and touted the grass-roots nature of his support.

"We are just amazed at the number of working people who have donated to our campaign to help get our city in order … and this does not include any special-interest donations from developers, bankers, lawyers — the classic ‘pay to play’ donations Carlisle and Caldwell have built their campaigns on," Prevedouros said in a statement.

Tam’s report was not posted at the Campaign Spending Commission website by late afternoon. Messages left with his campaign were not immediately returned.