Washington – Colorado Democratic Rep. Mark Udall said today that he raised more than $1.1 million in the past three months for his 2008 U.S. Senate campaign, a race that is expected to be one of fiercest in the country.
Udall, a congressman representing Colorado’s 2nd District, now has almost $2.5 million in the bank, campaign manager Mike Melanson said in a statement.
The campaign released the totals in advance of Sunday’s Federal Election Commission reporting deadline.
Melanson called the total “impressive” but added, “There is still a long way to go.” Udall wants to replace Republican Wayne Allard, who is retiring.
Some analysts consider the race one of the Democrats’ best chances to gain a Senate seat because Colorado has been trending Democratic in the last couple of elections.
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer, who is seeking the Republican nomination, has not yet released his fundraising totals, campaign manager Pat Fiske said.
Fiske said he expects the numbers to be available in a few days.
He declined to comment on Udall’s announcement.
Udall took in significantly more money than he had raised in the first quarter. In the first three months, he netted $340,000, an amount some political scorekeepers called disappointing.
Candidates for the Senate seat in Colorado are expected to spend about $20 million combined, which would make it the most expensive in state history.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar spent $10 million to win his seat in 2004. Udall has said he expects to spend at least that much.
Udall is a member of one of the West’s best-known political families. His father, Morris, represented Arizona for three decades in the House; his uncle, Stewart, was a three-term Arizona congressman and became interior secretary in 1961. Mark Udall’s cousin, Tom Udall, is a Democratic congressman from New Mexico.
Schaffer, a businessman, limited himself to three terms in the House and was succeeded by Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave in 2002. Schaffer ran for Senate in 2004 but lost the GOP primary to beer baron Pete Coors.
Former Rep. Scott McInnis, also a Republican, initially said he was interested in running for Allard’s seat but has since stepped aside.
