U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman
Is state Sen. Morgan Carroll’s recent disappointing fundraising haul of just $377,000 indicative of a lack of enthusiasm from Democrats after putting candidate after candidate up against the buzz saw that is U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman? Carroll’s lackluster fundraising is compared to Coffman, who raised $480,085 this past quarter. To put Carroll’s fundraising numbers in perspective, former candidate Andrew Romanoff raised $514,477 in his first report and $524,871 in the October 2013 quarterly report. Either way, Romanoff far out-paced Carroll.
Despite Romanoff’s district-shopping tactics, he was seen as a top contender for the Congressional seat and is generally well-liked among his base. On the other hand, Carroll is seen as a good carrier of water, but not necessarily someone with whom one would grab a chai tea (we’re making this applicable to liberals).
Other evidence of the lack of support enjoyed by Carroll was her lackluster townhall meetings at which she and her staffer were the only ones to show. In fact, the only constituents that Carroll stands up for are her friends, the trial lawyers…to the detriment of every other constituency. In contrast, Coffman is a pro at retail politics, meeting across the district with constituents of all stripes.
As Coffman knows and, perhaps, Carroll will learn, politicians must build a wide base of support, even from unlikely allies. Carroll is so hyper-partisan that she’s built herself a coalition of one, and that’s not going to cut it in one of the most competitive races in the country.