LUMBERTON — U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre has a war chest of $687,000 on hand as he begins his campaign for re-election to the 7th Congressional District seat that he has held since 1996.

According to McIntyre’s campaign, he raised a total of $852,000 during 2011, the most ever raised by his campaign in the off year of an election. During the fourth quarter of 2011, $194,000 was raised.

According to the campaign, 92 percent of the individual donors in the fourth quarter came from North Carolina, with 94 percent of all the individual election donors in this election cycle coming from North Carolina.

“I am honored to to have so many citizens committing to us financially and politically,” McIntyre. a Democrat, said in a statement. “Folks all across Southeastern North Carolina are showing their support for our message of putting the people of our area first, working in a bi-partisan manner, honoring the commitments to our senior citizens, veterans, military, farmers, rural and coastal communities, and protecting our great nation. Now more than ever we need a strong voice in Congress who can reach across the aisle, build consensus, and get things done. That’s what I have always done, and that’s what we will keep doing each and every day to make Southeastern North Carolina the best place to live and work.”

Republicans Ilario Pantano and state Sen. David Rouzer are also campaigning for the 7th Congressional seat.

Pantano and Rouzer have not yet filed their four-quarter financing reports with the Federal Elections Commission, according to Andy Yates, a consultant for Pantano. Yates said Wednesday that in the fourth quarter of the annual election cycle that ended Dec. 31 candidates have 30 days from the end of the quarter to file their reports. In the other quarters, he said, reports must be filed within 15 days of the end of the quarter.

New redistricting, led by the Republican majority in the state General Assembly, has removed all but a sliver of the northern part of Robeson County from the 7th District and put it in the 8th District currently represented by Democrat Larry Kissell. The 8th District encompasses counties west of Robeson all the way to Charlotte. Several Republicans, including John Whitley of Fairmont, have announced plans to seek the seat.

Although McIntye’s Lumberton home will be in the 8th District, he has indicated that he plans to run to keep the 7th District seat.