(Adds Christie fundraising in third paragraph.)

Oct. 19 (Bloomberg) -- New Jersey’s Republican Party raised $1.48 million from July 1 to Sept. 30, three times as much as Democrats, as Governor Chris Christie weighed a presidential bid and brought in money nationwide for his political party.

The New Jersey Republican State Committee this year collected $3.2 million through Sept. 30, while the Democratic State Committee raised $889,450, according to a summary of campaign-finance reports from the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. The Democratic committee brought in $512,196 in the period from July 1 to Sept. 30.

Christie, a first-term Republican, traveled to Missouri, California and Louisiana during the last week of September to raise money for state parties, including New Jersey’s. His trip, which also included a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, led party fundraisers to urge him to get into the presidential race. Christie said Oct. 4 that he wouldn’t run.

Democrats control both houses of New Jersey’s Legislature, and all 120 seats are up for election in November.

The Republican State Committee spent $2.2 million this year through Sept. 30 while the Democratic State Committee spent $688,886, the election commission said.

--Editors: Stephen Merelman, Mark Schoifet

To contact the reporter on this story: Stacie Servetah in Trenton at sbabula@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Tannenbaum at mtannen@bloomberg.net