Sen. Udall Raises Another Million Dollars

You’d be smiling, too, if you were outraising your opponents this much.

The campaign for Democratic Sen. Mark Udall won't officially file its fundraising report for another few weeks (end-of-year reports have longer deadlines than quarterly reports), but news about another strong quarter is already leaking out. Udall raised more than $1.1 million in Q4, ending the year with a hefty $4.7 million cash on hand. Udall finished 2013 by raising more than $1.1 million in every single quarter.

For comparison's sake, Republicans Ken Buck and Owen Hill didn't raise $500,000 combined in Q3, and both need to have had a much better Q4. Fundraising numbers from Q4 will also be the first look at the potential strength of state Rep. Amy Stephens, who entered the Senate race in October.

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School Finance Ballot Initiative Raises $1 Million

FOX 31's Eli Stokols:

Lawmakers passed legislation last session, hoping to change the way Colorado funds its schools, directing additional money to full-day kindergarten across the state and distributing more money per pupil to districts with higher percentages of at-risk students.

But none of it will take effect unless voters approve $950 million in new tax revenues to pay for it.

Initiative 22 would set a flat tax rate of 5 percent — up slightly from the current 4.6 percent rate — for all incomes of less than $75,000 a year.

But the proposal those earning more than that would see their income taxed at two different rates:  the 5 percent flat rate for income up to $75,000 annually and then a 5.9 percent rate for all earnings above that threshold.

And the Denver Post reports today:

Colorado Commits to Kids surpassed the $1 million mark in overall contributions with $739,250 taken in during the July reporting period. Combined with more than $260,000 raised in June, the effort moved to $1,081,550 primarily with the help of a few deep-pocketed donors.

The Post reports diverse funding sources for this campaign, ranging from Democrat Pat Stryker and Sam Gary of the Piton Foundation to the right-leaning education reform group Stand for Children. Along with backing from Gov. John Hickenlooper, Initiative 22's hefty war chest should underscore the seriousness of this effort compared to 2011's Proposition 103–which failed after attracting only tepid support. It's worth noting that some of the lack of support for Proposition 103, particularly on the left, can be attributed to concerns that it doesn't raise enough revenue to address the problem. This latest initiative is no "band-aid," but a real attempt to solve the longstanding and growing problem of paying for public education in Colorado.

And unlike two years ago, this campaign will have the resources it needs to succeed.

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Udall Banks $1.3 Million In Q2

Raising money like his pants are on fire (they aren’t)

FOX 31's Eli Stokols:

Colorado Sen. Mark Udall had perhaps his best month of press since taking office in June, when a government surveillance scandal he’s long hinted at came to light.

The Democrat, who faces reelection next fall, also finished up another strong fundraising quarter, bringing in $1.3 million in contributions between April 1 and June 30.

Udall’s campaign now has $3.4 million cash on hand, his campaign tells FOX31 Denver.

Now he just needs an opponent…

Stokols reports that one of the more consistent mentions as a possible opponent to Sen. Mark Udall in 2014, failed 2006 gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez, is in decline as a likely candidate, and mentions three state legislators, including former Majority Leader Amy Stephens and freshman state Sen. Owen Hill of Colorado Springs. We were the first to report the possibility of a Stephens run, and Stokols says of Owen Hill:

Owen Hill for U.S. Senate: It’s Not Like You Have a Choice!

Keep an eye on Hill, who has just one year under his belt as a lawmaker but has impressed political observers at the Capitol with his speaking prowess; just in his early 30s with a young family, Hill is exactly the kind of fresh face the Colorado GOP is looking for…

…That his name is even in the mix to challenge Udall this cycle underlines his potential — and just how short the Republican bench is in the state. [Pols emphasis]

As eloquent as Hill may be–we find him a bit hammy–this has every appearance of the search for a placeholder. We won't argue that Hill may have the makings of a bright political future (mainly because he just got elected) but the mention of his name for U.S. Senate is entirely about circumstance and timing. The only reason Hill's name has even made it into discussion is because the GOP really has nobody on their bench; that's Hill's good fortune, perhaps, but you can't extract further meaning from the correlation.  

Full story: Udall Banks .3 Million In Q2

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