Coffman, Crow battle over campaign cash

WASHINGTON» Campaign cash continued to flow into Colorado’s 6th Congressional District in the first three months of 2018, with U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, raising roughly $464,000 to the nearly $365,000 netted by Democratic challenger Jason Crow, according to federal records.

Crow, who faces fellow Democrat Levi Tillemann in the upcoming June 26 primary, also received about $97,000 in transfers from left-leaning groups — putting his first-quarter haul about even with Coffman, a five-term incumbent.

Tillemann raised about $52,000 and has about $92,000 in his campaign coffers, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Coffman has faced wellfunded challengers the last couple election cycles, and this year looks no different. He boasted about $1.2 million in reserve as of March 31, a step ahead of Crow’s $884,000. The district they’re battling over centers on the Denver suburb of Aurora.

Crow’s support from Democratic lawmakers includes Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Kathy Castor of Florida, as well as from unions such as the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.

Coffman took checks from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a major law and lobbying firm, and the Western Energy Alliance, a booster group for the oil and gas industry – a frequent supporter of Coffman, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan election watchdog.