Quinn (via facebook).

The next election is way off, but pols hungry to replace our diminutive billionaire mayor from Boston are already lining up to raise funds. And, with Anthony Weiner out of the picture, one candidate is distinctly leading the pack. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn raised $1.32 million dollars in the past six months, bringing her campaign's total to $4 million.

Quinn raked in all that dough for various reasons including her high profile, her recent pulling back from the mayor's shadow, her connection to the marriage equality victory in Albany, and the city's recent on-time budget in which she is credited by many for saving 20 firehouses and thousands of teaching positions.

But Quinn isn't the only pol pulling in big bucks. Manhattan Beep Scott Stringer took in $655,000 in the past half-year and has $2.5 million in his account. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio raised $675,000 in the same period for a total of more than $1 million. And Former Comptroller Bill Thompson, who came within spitting distance of Bloomberg last time, raised a quarter million, putting his coffers at about $300,000 including funds left over from his last bid.

Of course, those numbers look like chicken scratch when you consider the fact that our current mayor spent more than $100 million dollars of his own money to secure his third coronation. 2013 is going to be an interesting election cycle!