The two announced candidates to succeed Rep. Neil Abercrombie in one of Hawai'i's two House seats next year raised modest sums in the first half of 2009.

Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, a Republican, had $215,000 on hand on June 30, according to reports he filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission.

He raised more than $28,000 in the first three months of the year and almost $76,000 in the second three months. He started 2009 with nearly $130,000 in the bank.

Democrat Ed Case ended June 30 with almost $120,000, his FEC reports indicated. He garnered more than $17,000 in the first quarter of 2009, and almost $80,000 in the second quarter. He did not raise money last year.

Case is a former House member from Hawai'i who lost a 2006 primary election bid to topple U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i.

Abercrombie has all but officially announced he is running for governor, and has focused his fundraising activities on that race. Still, his House campaign committee raised $12,000 this year.

The congressman had almost $919,000 in his federal campaign war chest as of June 30. He is trying to persuade the state Campaign Spending Commission to allow him to transfer those funds to his gubernatorial campaign account. The agency's staff has said state law bars him from doing so, but Abercrombie is appealing to the commission itself.

Other candidates who might seek Abercrombie's seat include Hawai'i Democratic Party Chairman Brian Schatz and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa.