Rep. Tipton Off To Lukewarm Start Raising Money
DENVER (AP) - Republican Rep. Scott Tipton is off to a slow start raising money for his re-election.
In campaign finance reports turned in last week, the 3rd District congressman reported raising less than $150,000 last quarter. That's less than half of what was raised by his fellow freshman, Colorado Republican Rep. Cory Gardner. Tipton didn't raise much more money in his first fiscal quarter in office, about $176,000.
So far, Tipton has raised about $338,000 and has about $250,000 cash on hand. By contrast, Gardner has raised some $619,000 and has more than $355,000 on hand.
Tipton's challenger, Democratic state Rep. Sal Pace, reported raising about $100,000 last quarter. But Pace was raising money for just one month of that period, while Tipton's haul covered three months.
Tipton insisted in a statement Monday that he's doing fine on the fundraising front.
"We are on pace to raise over a million dollars during this cycle, which is right where we want to be," Tipton wrote. He pointed out that his record placed him third in Colorado seven-person House delegation.
A spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee declined to say anything on the record about Tipton's fundraising. Tyler Houlton instead sent a statement blasting Pace for what Houlton described as votes for "higher taxes and reckless spending" in the Colorado Legislature.
Pace told The Associated Press he feels good about his fundraising clip so far.
"In just a month we were able to raise six figures, which I think goes to show there is a yearning for fresh blood," Pace said.
Tipton and Gardner both outraised the other two Republican members of Colorado's delegation last quarter. Rep. Mike Coffman in the Denver suburbs raised just more than $100,000, and Rep. Doug Lamborn in El Paso County was the state's slowest fundraiser, taking in less than $60,000. Both Coffman and Lamborn have prevailed by solid margins in their previous contests.
Colorado's top House Democratic fundraiser last quarter was Rep. Ed Perlmutter in the Denver suburbs, who reported raising about $224,000.
- By Kristen Wyatt, AP Writer
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
