Sen. Brown Raises $1.7M In First Quarter Of 2011

Sen. Scott Brown is bulking up his campaign coffers as he gears up for his reelection campaign next year. The Massachusetts Republican pulled in $1.7 million in campaign contributions during the first three months of 2011.

That brings the total amount of cash in his campaign account to about $8.3 million - a sizeable hurdle for any potential challenger, including Democrats who are hoping to take back the seat long held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Brown is also announcing that he's forming a new political action committee called ScottPAC.

Brown's campaign said the PAC will allow him to respond to requests for financial support from other candidates.

Brown won a special election last year and is running for a full term in 2012.