ST. PAUL — Minnesota political candidates are about to be judged on the size of their fundraising stockpiles.

A new round of campaign finance reports are becoming public today for candidates running for state offices like governor, attorney general and secretary of state. They will document what the campaigns raised and spent over the previous five months and what they have in the tank for the six-month run to Election Day.

Most of the focus will be on the performance of Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and the four GOP contenders still in the running to face him.

In recent years, groups that independently spend money on races have been bigger spenders than many candidates. Some, but not all, of those political funds also must make fundraising and spending details public by today.