Udall Outraises Gardner in First Full Head-to-Head Quarter

14 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

Mark Udall, Cory Gardner.

Fox 31's Eli Stokols

Colorado Democratic Sen. Mark Udall raised $3.1 million in the second quarter of the year and now has $5.7 million in cash on hand as the race against Republican challenger Cory Gardner enters a more competitive phase with the election less than four months away.

Udall, who is seeking a second term, has raised more than $13 million overall to support his reelection effort.

Gardner, a congressman from Yuma who didn’t enter the senate race until late February, announced last week that his campaign raised $2.7 million in the year’s second quarter and has $3.4 million cash on hand.

The campaign for Congressman Cory Gardner will try hard to spin these numbers in a favorable manner, but this is bad news for Republicans however you slice it. When Gardner entered the race for Senate a few months ago, national Republicans were crowing that they finally had a (theoretically) likable candidate who could raise lots of campaign cash on his own. Gardner replaced a field of Republican Senate candidates who had been historically inept at raising money, but Gardner nevertheless faced significant expectations that he has not been able to meet.

This was Gardner's first full fundraising quarter — with all the low-hanging fruit still available — and he still failed to outraise incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Udall. And don't forget: Gardner has been virtually invisible since announcing his candidacy, skipping public appearances to focus on raising money.

None of this means that Gardner may end up being underfunded by November, but it does call into question just how excited national Republican donors are about Gardner's campaign. And as the 2014 election season rumbles on, Republicans will soon have to decide whether to double-down on Gardner financially…or focus any extra resources on states like Montana instead.

14 thoughts on “Udall Outraises Gardner in First Full Head-to-Head Quarter”

Ralphie says:

July 14, 2014 at 12:31 pm

Moddy will be along shortly to tell us why this isn't important.

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BlueCat says:

July 14, 2014 at 12:40 pm

12 minutes and no modster yet. Hope he's OK.

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1. Ralphie says:
  
  July 14, 2014 at 2:09 pm
  
  He sent his apprentice.
  
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Andrew Carnegie says:

July 14, 2014 at 12:54 pm

Both sides will have plenty of money to get the word out. No news when Gardner announced his haul. No news when Udall announced his haul.

A lack of money to spend on advertising is not a concern for either.

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1. FrankUnderwood says:
  
  July 14, 2014 at 2:11 pm
  
  If worse comes to worse, he can take a page out of BWB's campaign finance plan and loan himself some $$$$
  
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Diogenesdemar says:

July 14, 2014 at 12:57 pm

Calling all Kochs . . .

. . . CG here could sure use a small raise in his allowance. (And, if you could spare a little bit of your pocket change today . . . )

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Andrew Carnegie says:

July 14, 2014 at 1:06 pm

Instead focus funds on Montana?

Pols are you serious?

That race like South Dakota and West Vrginia will require zero outside money. The Dems recognize they have no chance in those seats. There are six or seven seats up for grabs, including Udall's, but Montana?

The latest poll has the Republican up by 18%.

You are better than that.

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1. Moderatus says:
  
  July 14, 2014 at 2:02 pm
  
  Pols wishful thinking knows no bounds…
  
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  1. horseshit GOP front group says:
    
    July 14, 2014 at 2:15 pm
    
    and Honey Badger winning the Governor's race wasn't wishful thinking at all. No sir !
    
    You don't really have a leg to stand on in terms of cold hard analysis Moddy.
    
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    1. Progressicat says:
      
      July 14, 2014 at 2:24 pm
      
      Gessler 2014!
      
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      1. FrankUnderwood says:
        
        July 14, 2014 at 2:29 pm
        
        That's Gessler 2018!
        
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        Diogenesdemar says:
        
        July 14, 2014 at 2:52 pm
        
        Don't underestimate the strength of our growing write-in campaign !
        
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  2. Ralphie says:
    
    July 14, 2014 at 2:32 pm
    
    Why do you hate America?
    
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gertie97 says:

July 14, 2014 at 1:48 pm

Even if Montana were a close race in the polls, not much outside cash does any good. The media markets (to use the term very generously) are tiny, with commensurately low rates. Radio is cheap and the most effective to reach people since distances are vast and Montanans spend a lot of time in their vehicles. Since the Kochs and their ilk have money to burn, they'll do it in big media market states where it theoretically could do them some good.

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