House candidates have lent their campaigns nearly $12 million so far during the early 2010 election cycle, a figure expected to dramatically increase in the next 13 months as races heat up and congressional hopefuls invest much of their own funds into their bids.

Lending money to one’s campaign is a recent but growing trend, increasing by about $50 million every election. The 2008 election set a record as federal candidates — including those running for the Senate and the White House — lent their campaigns a total of $163 million.

Federal candidates should be aware, however, that there is often only a small distinction between donating and lending the money to one’s campaign. Following Election Day in 2008, these candidates owed themselves a total of $154 million. They ended up losing most of the money because campaign finance laws only allowed campaigns to repay a candidate up to $250,000 from receipts raised after Election Day.

The 10 House candidates who lent their campaigns the most money to date this year are:

• House Candidate Joan Buchanan, D-Calif., $1.1 million

• House Candidate Brad Goehring, R-Calif., $650,000

• Rep. Michael McCaul , R-Texas, $500,000

• House Candidate Benito Ben Loyola Jr., R-Va., $500,000

• House Candidate Steven Welch, R-Pa., $500,000

• House Candidate Matt Doheny, R-N.Y., $500,000

• House Candidate Suzan Kay Delbene, D-Wash., $350,000

• House Candidate Timothy D’Annunzio, R-N.C., $300,020

• House Candidate Bill Slaton, D-Calif., $288,854