Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D), who is gearing up to run for governor next year, will report having $5.2 million in the bank, far more than any previous Democratic candidate at this point in the cycle, his campaign said.

The figure, which is part of a report of a report due to the State Board of Elections on Wednesday, is also expected to greatly exceed those of Gansler’s potential rivals for the nomination.

During the past year, Gansler raised more than $1.2 million, the campaign said, building on an already sizable war chest accumulated in recent years.

Early fundraising totals are important gauge of strength but do not always predict the ultimate winner of political races. Gansler is the first of the Democrats jockeying to succeed Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) to advertise his numbers ahead of Wednesday’s deadline.

In January 2005 — the equivalent point in the 2006 race for governor — O’Malley reported about $1 million in the bank. He trailed his Democratic rival for the nomination at the time, then-Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D), who reported more than $1.4 million cash on hand.