[dropcap]I[/dropcap]N the deeply red 5th congressional district, it’s Democratic challenger Irv Halter who has the fundraising edge over Republican incumbent Rep. Doug Lamborn. New FEC reports released on Tuesday show that retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Halter has about three times as much cash on hand as Lamborn, who just squeaked through a close primary race against another retired Air Force major general, Bentley Rayburn. That primary race was the closest he’s faced since getting elected to Congress from Colorado Springs in 2006.
Since the start of the election cycle, Halter has raised a total of $514,853 to Lamborn’s $389,069. Halter loaned his campaign around $30,000; Lamborn, $100,000. Lamborn had to spend a chunk of cash—upwards of $350,000—fending off Rayburn in the primary, leaving him with around $115,000 on hand right now. Halter, who faced no primary challenge in a district that rarely runs a Democrat at all, is poised for the general election with around $319,000 on hand.
Notably, most of Halter’s contributions are from individual donors, whereas the bulk of Lamborn’s come from political action committees, according to information compiled by the Sunlight Foundation.
Since January of 2013, Lamborn has raised around $100,000 from individual donors and around $250,000 from PACs. This past June, PAC donors included Exxonmobil PAC ($2,500), the NRA ($1,000), the GOP Generation Y Fund ($5,000), the Intelsat Corporation Political Action Committee ($1,000) and Honeywell International Political Action Committee ($1,500).
Halter, who started raising money in July of last year, has raised around $360,000 from individual donors and almost $40,000 from PACs. He raised exactly $4,500 from PACs last month, though the specific donors have yet to be processed by the FEC website. In the past, Halter has received contributions from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC ($1,000), the American Postal Workers Union ($2,000) Common Sense Colorado ($2,000) and the United Association Political Education Committee ($10,000).
Halter campaign manager Ethan Susseles said the fact that Lamborn is getting more money from PACs is “a clear sign that he lacks any real support from inside the district or inside the state.”
Jarred Rego, campaign spokesman for Lamborn, said: “The Congressman appreciates the strong support he has received, particularly among individuals from inside the district.”
The next FEC reporting period ends Oct. 15.
[Photo composite by Nat Stein, using Wikimedia Commons and official campaign photos. Rep. Doug Lamborn, left, and challenger Irv Halter, right.]
Could it be that even the Springs is getting tired of getting the shaft from it’s right wing government? From being told to personally mow the parks to having all it’s street lights shut off at night, it’s been clear from up in the northern parts of the state the the conservative revolution down there hasn’t been very pleasant. Maybe even those folk down there are getting tired of playing masochist games on themselves, and are realizing that constantly starving yourself is NOT a way to a healthy life.
Nah, they LOVE the pain. They will put Lamebrain back in office, and we’ll all have to deal with his stupidity dragging us down as a nation for another few years.