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RALEIGH (AP) - Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole has committed $3 million of her own money to buoy her re-election bid, digging deep into her pockets in the final weeks of the campaign as she struggles to shake off a barrage of criticism from Democrats.

Not to be outdone in one of the nation's most closely watched races, Democratic challenger Kay Hagan recently provided her campaign with $300,000 in personal cash, bringing her total to $350,000, her campaign said Tuesday.

Dole transferred the money to her campaign committee in the first week of October, her spokesman said Tuesday.

She told The Associated Press shortly after the decision that she felt the need to "put some skin in the game," but she had declined to disclose how much money she had provided until now.

Dan McLagan, a spokesman for Dole, noted the millions of dollars that outside groups have spent in North Carolina targeting the first-term lawmaker have put Dole in a bind.

Federal election records show the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent some $1.5 million opposing Dole in August alone, and their presence on television has only increased since then.

"This guarantees we'll be able to get our message out in the face of all that Washington and New York money," McLagan said.

Despite a lengthy resume that includes service as president of the American Red Cross, a brief presidential bid, and two stints as a White House cabinet member, Dole has struggled this year to counter attack ads portraying her as ineffective and tied to President Bush.

Hagan has surged from near obscurity to challenge Dole and make the race one of the most-watched in the country. Campaign spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan said Dole's personal money won't be enough to win the race.

"I think Dole's loan is a lifeline," Flanagan said. "I think Kay's will help us win at the finish line."

With the extra cash from her own purse, Dole appears to now hold a wide cash advantage when compared directly to Hagan.

She reported last week having $1.7 million in campaign cash to spend at the beginning of September. Hagan reported about half as much.

Campaigns must file updated financial reports by the end of Wednesday.