Group drops financial support for Coffman

An outside group dedicated to electing Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives is pulling its money out of Colorado’s most competitive race.

The super PAC is called the Congressional Leadership Fund and has canceled about $1 million in television advertising it had planned on behalf of fiveterm Republican Mike Coffman between now and Election Day.

“That’s Washington, D.C.,” Coffman campaign manager Tyler Sandberg said in a statement. “One day you’re up; the next day you’re down. That’s not how Mike Coffman is wired.”

Coffman and the campaign are pushing “full speed ahead” into the final stretch, Sandberg added.

CLF isn’t completely leaving the Centennial State.

“CLF will continue to run strong field operations in these districts and will continue to conduct polling and evaluate races across the country as we do everything we can to protect the Republican majority,” communications direc tor Courtney Alexander said in a statement.

Despite the positive tone of the statement, the move is a troubling sign for team Coffman.

The suburban 6th Congressional District is one of a handful across the country that both parties have characterized as a mustwin if they want a majority in Congress.

Party officials reportedly told Politico that Coffman is trailing his Democratic opponent, Jason Crow, and they expect Democrats to outspend them significantly in this race.

In fall 2014, the Demo cratic Congressional Campaign Committee pulled $1.4 million of advertising it reserved for Andrew Romanoff, Coffman’s Democratic challenger. Coffman went on to defeat Romanoff by 9 points.

“This is great news for Coloradans who are sick of nasty, false attack ads paid for Mike Coffman’s special interest friends in Washington,” Colorado Democratic Party spokesman Eric Walker said.

“But we’re not taking anything for granted. We know we have to work hard from now until Election Day.”