In an e-mail message distributed Wednesday afternoon, Lincoln D. Chafee asked his supporters to help him "return Rhode Island to its proper direction" by donating to his exploratory campaign for governor.

"We cannot let partisan politics continue to drive our state toward the bottom of national rankings," wrote Chafee, a former Republican senator who is now an independent. While he has not officially announced his candidacy, the logo at the top of his Web site and e-mail message says, "Independent candidate for Rhode Island governor."

At the end of the brief message, Chafee acknowledged the Sept. 30 end of the third quarter, which is when the crowded field of likely candidates must publicly update their fundraising totals. The results, even more than a year before the election, offer insight into the strength of each campaign and each candidate's ability to connect with constituents.

In the second quarter, his first as a potential candidate, Chafee raised $110,772 and loaned his campaign $60,000 of his own money. After spending close to $38,153 to get his campaign up and running, he had had $132,619 left as of June 30.

By comparison, General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio had $1.4 million left at the end of the quarter, and fellow Democrat Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch had $538,803 on hand.

"Your donation of $250, $100 or $50, by September 30th, will tell all Rhode Islanders that we are an independent people eager to bridge the political divides that have encumbered our state for too long," Chafee wrote.