Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton overcame lackluster fundraising in Colorado during the first half of the year to outraise every other presidential contender in the state last quarter, federal records show.
Clinton took in $349,532 for the three-month period ending Sept. 30. Half of that money was raised in Denver and in Boulder, where former President Bill Clinton attended a 300-person fundraiser in mid-September.
Clinton, a New York senator, also attended a July fundraiser for her candidacy in Aspen. The campaign declined to release the amount raised at either event.
Clinton’s campaign chalked up the increase in Colorado fundraising to having more of a presence in the state and that former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb emerged as a supporter and co-chair.
“Bill Clinton is also an incredible asset, there is no question,” said Hillary Clinton spokesman Isaac Baker. “But people are coming out to donate and support her campaign.”
Democrat Barack Obama, the only presidential candidate with an office in the state, is still the Colorado financial front-runner, having raised a total $1.1 million. Yet the Illinois senator, who did not have any fundraisers in the state in the past three months, had his poorest Colorado showing yet, netting only $188,794 in the third quarter. His campaign said, however, that 3,022 of the 3,151 donors in Colorado gave under $200 apiece.
The Obama campaign wasn’t sure when he was scheduled to return to Colorado but said the state was expected to play a significant role in his candidacy.
“Our committment to the state is clear. We’ve opened an office, hired staff and are growing,” said campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Clinton ended the quarter with $35 million cash on hand, while Obama has $32 million.
Although the top Democratic presidential candidates have raised roughly twice as much money nationwide as their Republican opponents, GOP candidate Mitt Romney is the leading fundraiser from either party in the eight-state interior West.
Fueled by donors in states with a high concentration of Mormons, Romney continued to raise more money – a total of $8.1 million – in the region than any other presidential candidate. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has raked in more than $4 million from Utah, as well as $1 million from Arizona and more than half a million from Idaho.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson trails Romney in raising money in the Rocky Mountain West, made up of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. Richardson has raised $6.3 million, with about 85 percent coming from his home state.
Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo raised $47,274 in the state last quarter and $767,152 overall. He has $110,079 cash on hand.
Karen Crummy: 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com
Mitt Romney
3Q Colorado: $198,678
3Q West: $1.6 million
Total Colorado: $719,226
Total West: $8.1 million
Fundraising leader of all presidential candidates in the eight-state interior West.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
3Q Colorado: $349,532
3Q West: $822,378
Total Colorado: $555,937
Total West: $1.9 million
Raised more than any other presidential candidate in Colorado between July and September.
Barack Obama
3Q Colorado: $188,794
3Q West: $615,348
Total Colorado: $1.1 million
Total West: $2 million
Holds overall fundraising lead in Colorado for both parties.
How others in the presidential field fared in fundraising
Presidential fundraising in the Rocky Mountain West (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, Utah and Wyoming)
Rudy Giuliani
3Q Colo.: $144,425
3Q West: $574,448
Total Colo.: $423,444
Total West: $2 million
John McCain
3Q Colo.: $50,916
3Q West: $511,043
Total Colo.: $303,889
Total West: $3.3 million
Tom Tancredo
3Q Colo.: $47,274
3Q West: $66,350
Total Colo.: $176,319
Total West: $234,014
Has $110,079 cash on hand
Fred Thompson (from June 4 to Sept. 30)
Colo.: $49,696
West: $200,478
John Edwards
3Q Colo.: $62,078
3Q West: $186,047
Total Colo.: $176,340
Total West: $733,640
Bill Richardson
3Q Colo.: $93,220
3Q West: $1.4 million Total Colo.: $378,575
Total West: $6.3 million
This article has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to a reporting error, it incorrectly stated that both Bill and Hillary Clinton attended a mid-September fundraiser in Boulder. Only Bill Clinton was in attendance.
