ST. PAUL — Republican Karin Housley said she has raised more than $150,000 in just a couple of weeks since announcing her run for the U.S. Senate.

It’s a strong start for a campaign that’s expected to cost $10 million or more as the GOP fights hard to take a seat that opened unexpectedly after Sen. Al Franken resigned over allegations from several women of sexual misconduct.

Housley, a state senator from Stillwater, is the only major Republican to declare so far for the November election to fill the last two years of Al Franken’s seat.

Democrat Tina Smith, who was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton to replace Franken, has said she’ll run in the election.