State Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald, generally considered the favorite in the Democratic race to succeed Mark Udall in the second congressional district, is reporting a first quarter fundraising effort of $240,000 — nearly ten percent more than early reports had, but less than competitors Jared Polis and Will Shafroth.
Mary Alice Mandarich, Fitz-Gerald’s campaign manager, says that the race is a marathon, not a sprint. “Each campaign needs to raise money to fulfill their campaign budgets. We hit our goal for the quarter,” she says. With both Shafroth and Polis clearly having access to funding, future fundraising efforts might say more about the staying power of the candidates.Fitz-Gerald got 350 individual contributions. All three of the candidates have apparently tapped roughly the same number of contributors.
Fitz-Gerald said in a release:
“I have worked for the last seven years addressing the issues affecting this district, like making Colorado leader in the development of renewable energy resources, addressing the pine beetle infestation problem that is killing our trees in the high country, and making sure the new CU Health Sciences Center has adequate funding to guarantee that it will remain one of the premier research institutions in the nation.
“I look forward to working in Congress to bring the energy and attention to issues facing this district, and also to being part of a strong Congress that guides our nation away from the failed policy in Iraq.”
Opponents Polis and Shafroth have each raised about $300,000 from donors.
