Washington – U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter raised nearly $264,000 in his first quarter as a new congressman.
Perlmutter, a Golden Democrat elected to his first term in November, took in $152,147 from individuals and $111,750 from political action committees, according to a report covering the first three months of the year.
Perlmutter spent $70,286 and had $226,458 cash on hand at the end of the period.
Eight different political action committees each gave Perlmutter $5,000 – the biggest contribution allowed by law. Three of those came from labor unions representing steel workers, food and commercial workers, and aircraft owners and pilots.
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the political action committee of CH2M Hill Companies of Englewood and the Federal Express PACs each gave $5,000. AmeriPac, which largely gives to conservative Republicans, gave $5,000. Bridge PAC, a Democratic leadership committee, also gave $5,000.
James Crowe, chief executive of Level 3 Communications, gave $2,300, as did Level 3 executive Donald Gips.
Former Denver Mayor and Clinton Cabinet member Federico Peña gave Perlmutter $500. Attorney Thomas Strickland, who twice ran against Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., also gave $500.
The total from Colorado was $147,450, and $78,053 came from Washington, D.C.
Perlmutter spent nearly $3 million to win the seat last year, the second most costly House race in the state. Only Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave of Fort Morgan, spent more, with $3.2 million in costs. Perlmutter campaign manager Scott Chase said he anticipates raising at least $3 million for the 2008 re-election campaign.
Rep. Diana DeGette’s campaign fund raised about $65,000 in the first three months of the year.
Like most candidates, she typically raises less in the first quarter of the two-year election cycle. In the first three months of 2005, she raised about $29,000.
DeGette spent slightly more than $35,000 during the period. She finished the quarter with $222,043.
The bulk of DeGette’s contributions came from outside of Colorado, with $34,421 coming from political action committees and donors in Washington, D.C. Another $10,515 came from Colorado donors and $8,000 came from people and PACS in Virginia.
Her biggest single donation of $5,000 came from CH2M Hill’s political action committee.
