If the early money decisions of the pharmaceutical industry are any indication, the 2005 special election is going to end up costing an awful lot of cash.

With the election still not official, some of the nation's big drug manufacturers are already ponying up serious cash. A quick check of state campaign finance records shows that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has now squirreled away some $7.7 million dollars for the 2005 election season.

And $5.1 million of that amount is just from the last 10 days.

The companies contributing to the fund so far include well-known names like Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson, plus several others. And again, we don't know for sure what will-- or won't-- be on the ballot, although there are competing initiatives in the works favored by both the pharmaceutical industry and consumer health advocacy groups. For now, it's probably safe to assume the money is being stockpiled as a precaution.

Meantime, the fundraising season continues for other big players. The friends-of-Schwarzenegger committee known as Citizens To Save California has reported more than $2.4 million in donations, including some help from the governor's fundraising efforts in Ohio and a $200,000 check from American Financial Group CEO Carl Linder. The governor's own reelection committee is also likely to report big bucks in the coming days, after several days of East Coast fundraisers.