Senator Hillary Clinton, wife of former President Bill Clinton, has raised 26 million dollars, breaking fundraising records for the early part of a presidential race. This report from Justin Webb:

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The Clinton campaign has raised more money in the first three months of this year than all nine Democratic candidates combined in the equivalent period for the 2004 election.

The Clinton team made their declaration early, ahead of the legal deadline and ahead of their main rival, Senator Barack Obama. There are suggestions that he too has raised more than twenty-million dollars. If that's confirmed this week, it will cement his position as Mrs Clinton's main challenger. But the Clinton stash keeps her in pole position in the race to secure the party nomination in a year's time.

Justin Webb, BBC, Washington

Listen to the words

delighted
very happy, greatly pleased

Hillary Clinton's juggernaut rolls on
Hillary Clinton's publicity effort continues

campaign
a series of organized activities for a particular purpose (here, the purpose is to get Hillary Clinton to become the next US President)

combined
put together

the equivalent period
the same length of time

ahead of
before, earlier than

deadline
a time limit for something to be finished

cement his position
make him firmly established

stash
here, the raised money

in pole position
at the front, ahead of her rivals

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