AURORA | The 2014 midterm election is 19 months away, yet the Congressional District 6 race is already shaping up to be one of the most expensive races in the country.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, and Democratic former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff have each raised more than half a million dollars according to first-quarter Federal Election Commission earnings reports.
“It’s certainly a very, very strong first quarter,” said Brandon Lorenz, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Coffman raised about $516,000 in total contributions from Jan. 1 to March 31 and has $391,700 in cash on hand. Romanoff raised about $514,500 during that period and has $492,700 in cash on hand. There’s a difference of about $1,500 between their campaign cash coffers.
The large amount of money already raised signals that the Congressional District 6 race is one of the most highly competitive races in the nation, Lorenz said.
It also signals that people are showing early energy and enthusiasm for challenger Romanoff, he said. Romanoff officially launched his campaign in February.
“This is a sign that Andrew is starting in a good financial position and has got momentum to build on as the year goes on,” Lorenz said.
Officials from the National Republican Congressional Committee say Coffman also had a good fundraising quarter.
“Mike Coffman is in a great position heading into the 2014 election cycle after posting his largest quarterly fundraising haul ever,” said Tyler Q. Houlton, spokesman for the NRCC, in an email.
Federal Election Commission reports show that Coffman and Romanoff are the only candidates in a Congressional House district race who have raised more than $1 million combined during the first quarter.
Candidates who raised more money than Coffman and Romanoff during the first quarter are: incumbent U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who raised $679,500, incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Fla., who raised $550,700, incumbent U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., who raised $536,600, incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who raised $526,500 and incumbent U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., who raised $516,800.
Coffman was one of 11 Republicans across the country named to the NRCC’s Patriot Program, a countrywide effort by national Republicans to help re-elect vulnerable incumbents to Congress.
Redistricting in 2010 split the once heavily-Republican Congressional District 6 almost evenly among Republicans, Democrats and independents, which has made Coffman’s re-election efforts harder. Redistricting also placed the entire city of Aurora and its 320,000 residents in the 6th Congressional District.
Last November, Coffman won narrowly against Democratic challenger Joe Miklosi. Coffman garnered 7,000 more votes than Miklosi, which brought his total to 163,938 votes.
Individuals who contributed amounts of $2,600 — the FEC limit — to Coffman’s campaign include entrepreneur and investor Phil Anschutz, business owners, lawyers, philanthropists and employees of construction, technology and energy industries. He also received $108,100 from committees including the Exxon Mobil Corp. Political Action Committee, the Associated Builders and Contractors PAC, the Lockheed Martin PAC and the Raytheon PAC. Coffman received 17 campaign donations from Aurora donors out of more than 300 itemized individual contributions, according to the FEC report.
Major individual contributors to Romanoff’s campaign who donated amounts of $2,600 include lawyers, university professors, business owners, consultants and physicians based in Denver, Englewood, Boulder and Colorado Springs.
Romanoff received eight campaign donations from Aurora donors out of more than 700 itemized individual contributions, according to the FEC report. Romanoff didn’t receive money from party committees or other committees, according to the report.
Both candidates also received money from out-of-state donors.
Reach reporter Sara Castellanos at 720-449-9036 or sara@aurorasentinel.com.