Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- New York Senator Hillary Clinton, whose rival Barack Obama raised more than twice as much money as she did in January, said today she loaned her presidential campaign $5 million last month.

``I believe very strongly in this campaign,'' Clinton said at a press conference at her national headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. ``We had a great month fundraising in January, but my opponent was able to raise more money. We intended to be competitive and we were. I think the results last night proved the wisdom of my investment.''

Clinton won eight states holding primaries and caucuses yesterday, including New York, California and New Jersey. Illinois Senator Obama won 13 states, including Illinois and Missouri.

Shortly after announcing the loan, Clinton sent out a fundraising e-mail seeking to raise $3 million in three days. ``You have sustained me throughout this journey, and I am calling on you again to give our campaign the resources we need to win critical upcoming races,'' she wrote.

The Clintons' total assets are valued at between $11 million and $51 million, according to the senator's financial disclosure form released June 14.

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry lent his campaign $6.4 million, including $3.5 million in January 2004. Kerry won the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire primary and went on to capture the Democratic presidential nomination. The campaign repaid Kerry later that year.

Clinton's Fundraising

Clinton raised around $13 million last month, excluding the $5 million loan, campaign spokesman Phil Singer said. Obama collected $32 million, according to campaign manager David Plouffe, the most ever raised by a Democrat in January of an election year.

Clinton's loan ``shows the effect of the success of Obama's fundraising in January, which stretched the Clinton campaign's resources, and even then her campaign was unable to match him,'' said Anthony Corrado, a professor of government at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Each candidate raised more than $100 million through Dec. 31, the last publicly available figures.

To contact the reporters on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net; Kristin Jensen in Washington at kjensen@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 6, 2008 17:19 EST