In Race To Challenge Sen. Bennet, Graham Leads GOP Primary Fundraising

Mark T. Osler

The latest fundraising reports in the U.S. Senate Republican primary race in Colorado show former CSU athletic director Jack Graham is out in front. He’s raised more than $400,000 and loaned his campaign another $1.5 million.

Colorado Springs businessman Robert Blaha’s most recent fundraising numbers for April and May are not yet available, but as of the previous reporting period he has loaned his own campaign at least $1 million.

Among the others running to compete against incumbent Michael Bennet, a Democrat: Former state lawmaker Jon Keyser has raised about $400,000, former Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier shows about a quarter-million, and El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn brought in $137,000 so far.

Whoever wins the GOP Senate primary next week faces an uphill fundraising battle in the general election, because Bennet has close to $6 million in his war chest.

Here’s how the specific numbers shake out:

Ryan Frazier:

• Total contributions so far: $261,276
• Candidate contributions: $6,367
• Candidate Loans: $148,440
• Expenses (operating expenditures): $389,865
• Ending cash on hand (as of 6/8): $19,850

Darryl Glenn:

• Total contributions so far: $137,032
• Candidate contributions: $0
• Candidate Loans: $16,478
• Expenses (operating expenditures): $106,510
• Ending cash on hand (as of 6/8): $50,198

John Keyser:

• Total contributions so far: $412,904
• Candidate contributions: $5,062
• Candidate Loans: $150,000
• Expenses (operating expenditures): $389,418
• Ending cash on hand (as of 6/8): $173,484

Jack Graham

• Total contributions so far: $453,506
• Candidate contributions: N/A
• Candidate Loans: $1.5m
• Expenses (operating expenditures): $683,817
• Ending cash on hand (as of 6/8):  $882,800

Robert Blaha:

• Not yet posted

Sen. Michael Bennet:

• Total contributions so far: $9,894,304
• Candidate contributions: N/A
• Candidate Loans: $0