ASPEN, Colo.—A parade of presidential hopefuls will soon be taking a respite from traditional campaign battlegrounds like Iowa and New Hampshire to politick in deep-pocketed Aspen. No surprise there, until you learn they’re Republicans.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani have each scheduled fundraisers in the Aspen area over the next several weeks. Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House who is contemplating a presidential bid, will lecture at the Aspen Institute’s McCloskey Speaker Series on Aug. 3; but he is not fundraising.
Another potential candidate, actor Fred Thompson, might also stump here, Linda McCausland, chair of the Pitkin County Republican Party, said Thursday.
Never have so many potential Republican presidential candidates stopped in Aspen at the commencement of campaign fundraising season, let alone so many in a matter of weeks, said McCausland, the party’s county chair for the last decade.
“Aspen has changed a great deal in eight or nine years. There are more people in the county active in political events for both parties than there were,” she said. “And it’s certainly gotten a lot more expensive to run for office, so they’ve had to broaden their net as to where they get money from.”
The candidates should expect to pick up between $10,000 and $20,000 each, McCausland said, because, with the exception of McCain, this will be the candidates’ first fundraising trip to Aspen. By comparison, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) made Aspen her first fundraising stop in Colorado last week. She is estimated to have collected close to $250,000 during a pair of fundraisers.
“You get a player like Hillary, who has a lot of loyal friends here, and you know she’s going to raise six figures; but that would be unusual for a Republican, because this is their first time here,” McCausland said. “But it could happen. It depends a lot on how hard the committee supporting the candidate works.”
Pitkin County has long been a liberal stronghold and among Colorado’s leaders when it comes to donating to political campaigns. In 2006, county residents gave $1.1 million, with 75 percent of it going to Democrats. During the 2004 presidential election, Aspen’s 81611 zip code was the ninth-biggest giver in the state and its 81612 (for post office boxes) wasn’t far behind.
“Many people who are interested in national politics have second homes here, and of course there are a number of people who have full-time homes here who are very interested in national politics—and they have the money to participate from both sides of the aisle,” said Camilla Auger, chair of the county Democrats.
She called this year’s influx of Republican candidates odd but she did not think it represented shifting demographics in the county; rather it reflects an early 2008 election season and a Republican scramble for a viable candidate.
“It’s unusual for Aspen to be on the Republican fundraising path to the extent that the Democrats are,” she said. “I think it says something about the national excitement or lack thereof. The Republicans are not as nearly satisfied with their slate as the Democrats are. Nonetheless, it’s a very important race for them. I think it says more about the race than changing demographics here.”
One thing is for sure. Aspen is a desirable place for politicians.
“The money and the national exposure that they get from meeting so many of the people who come to Aspen is very appealing to them,” McCausland said.
Aspen has long been Clinton country, but Barack Obama is currently in the fundraising lead here—attracting plenty of $2,300-maximum donations from various residents, according to records kept by the Center for Responsive Politics. Exact and up-to-date fundraising figures for Pitkin County were unavailable Thursday.
Romney, the first of the Republicans candidates coming to the area, has a fundraiser scheduled on Wednesday at the Roaring Fork Club. A photo opportunity and lunch with Romney at the club’s south veranda fetches the $2,300 maximum, while lunch at a cabin along the Roaring Fork River is priced at $1,000.
Roaring Fork Club member and former U.S. ambassador Richard Fairbanks, who once worked in President Nixon’s administration, is hosting the Romney event.
Giuliani has a fundraiser planned on Red Mountain on Aug. 15, and McCain will solicit financial support at an undisclosed local location in August.
Auger, the chair of the Pitkin County Democratic Party, said that Clinton will not be the last Democrat to visit Aspen on the road to the White House.
“I’m sure other Democratic candidates will be coming out,” she said.
“Having the homeowners we have here makes Aspen as important as New York, Los Angeles or any of those other stops in terms of making influential contacts.”
