National GOP Group Withdraws TV Ad-Buy For Coffman In 6th Dist.

DENVER, CO – A national Republican fundraising group cancelled $1 million in television ad buys for 6th District Congressman Mike Coffman's campaign, several sources reported.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) pulled its support from Coffman and redirected the money to "a swing district in the Miami area," Colorado Politics reported.

The contested 6th-District race pitting four-term incumbent congressman Coffman against first-time candidate Democrat Jason Crow is generating among the highest ad spending in state history.

According to OpenSecrets.org, outside spending in the race is around $14 million. NRCC reported already spent $2.1 million in the race. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which supports Crow has pumped in $2.3 million.

A few weeks ago, Congressional Leadership Fund, a GOP group associated with GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan yanked another $1 million of support for Coffman out of the 6th District race.

But Colorado Republicans didn't believe that reflected a lack of national support for Coffman, but more a crisis in other GOP races nationwide.

“[The withdrawal of support] shows that the NRCC is in a defensive position around the country,” Colorado GOP strategist Dick Wadhams told the Denver Post. “But I don’t think this an indication they have given up on the 6th District.”

Coffman’s campaign spokesman, Tyler Sandberg, told the Post “Mike’s spent his life in service of country, and we know his supporters will rally.”

A campaign email to supporters asked for more money, the Post reported.

“Our national allies are pulling resources out of this battleground,” Coffman’s campaign wrote in the email. “More left-wing money has targeted me than any other Republican in America, and now we will have to stare down the Democratic Super PACs alone.”

Financially, most of Coffman's support in this race and historically comes from in-state donors.

According to OpenSecrets.org, 77.16 percent, or $1,461,197 of Coffman's donations have come from in-state donors. The campaign finance site says 36.88 percent, or $1,181,450 of Coffman's funds come from PACs.

Comparatively, Crow's donations are coming about half-and-half. About 53.4 percent of funds, or $977,656, have come from from in-state donors. Out of state donors have kicked in $853,498, or 46.6 percent of Crow's campaign donations. Crow has publicly eschewed corporate PAC money, but OpenSecrets lists $381,210, or 8.51 percent of his campaign war chest as coming from membership PACs such as Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood and some unions.

Read More at Colorado Politics and Denver Post.

Image via Mike Coffman for Congress

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