PROVIDENCE -- The race for Rhode Island governor could be a case study in effectiveness of the state matching-fund program, designed to even the playing field between rich candidates and those of modest wealth.

The Democrat in the race, Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty, has opted into the program.

The Republican incumbent, Governor Carcieri, who put more than $1 million of his own money into his successful 2002 campaign, has not.

This is the first year that one general election candidate for governor has applied for matching funds while the other has bypassed the program, said H. Philip West Jr., executive director of Common Cause of Rhode Island.

"It will be an interesting year to test this system," West said yesterday.

Several polls show the governor's race to be very close. Three polls done over several months by the national independent pollster Rasmussen Reports shows the candidates within one percentage point of each other.

The Fogarty campaign says it has raised enough to qualify for the maximum in public matching funds, which this year is about $981,000 in the governor's race. In newly filed campaign-finance disclosures covering the period from April 1 to June 30, Fogarty reported a beginning cash balance of $527,346. He raised $207,823 from individual contributors during the quarter, and about $17,000 from political action committees.

The campaign spent about $141,000 during the reporting period. Fogarty has about $609,000 on hand.

In the last quarter, Carcieri started with more, raised more, spent more, and was left with more money on hand. The Carcieri campaign began the reporting period with $620,922. He raised $414,626 from individuals and $12,750 from political action committees.

He spent $168,000, and had about $905,000 on hand, as of June 30.

Under the matching-fund program, Fogarty will be limited to a spending cap of about $1.9 million, until Carcieri exceeds that total, said West.

In addition to receiving public money for his campaign, Fogarty can collect a maximum of $2,000 per contributor, double the amount allowed to Carcieri outside of the matching-fund program, said West. Smaller contributions up to $500 are matched 2-to-1 by the program, he said.

Carcieri's campaign said recently it is not budgeting this year for a major cash infusion from the candidate, the former CEO of Cookson America. Carcieri said in April that he was optimistic he could raise enough to run the race, though: "If we need to put in more, we'll put in more."

marsenau@projo.com / (401) 277-7231