Colorado gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry is solidifying his case as the Republican frontrunner with a strong fundraising take of $416,000 during his first 10 weeks in the race. Here’s the press release from the campaign, complete with a more detailed breakdown at the end:
State Senator Josh Penry, the upstart political underdog who’s challenging two entrenched political veterans to be the next governor of Colorado, announced today that his campaign raised more than $400,000 during the first 10 weeks of his campaign. In a show of broad grassroots support, the contributions came from 60 counties and near 1,500 donors.
Specifically, Penry raised $416,059 in contributions, nearly three times what Bill Ritter raised in the first quarter of his re-elect campaign earlier this year with $117,855. In 2006, then statewide political newcomer Bill Ritter raised $165,000 in his first quarter as a candidate for governor.
“Some candidates have the luxury of being owed lots of old political favors, and others have access to President Obama’s fundraising network,” said Mike Britt, Penry’s campaign manager. “Senator Penry has neither. But Josh does have a strong conservative message and a proven record of leadership, and that’s what resulted in a record breaking fundraising haul for Team Penry during the first weeks of our campaign.”
The fundraising total was first released by text messages to supporters on Wednesday evening. The text was part of the Penry campaign’s effort to utilize all types of new media to engage voters.
Concluded Britt, “Josh doesn’t need to raise more than the entrenched political veterans he’s up against. But we need to be competitive, and competitive we are. These numbers tell a clear story: we’re in this race to win, and to restore common sense and leadership to the governor’s office.”
Note
Below is a breakdown of Sen. Penry’s fundraising numbers.
- Contribution total: $416,059
- Number of donors: 1,491
- Percentage of donations from Colorado: 92 percent
- Average contribution: $225
- Number of counties contributions received from: 60
Where does Penry stand on illegal immigration and the appointment of Ms. Villafuerte to U. S. Attorney?
From http://www.penryforgovernor.com/about/: “It was that same fighting spirit and organized legislative leadership that helped Penry and Senate Republicans band together with moderate Democrats to defeat separate proposals in 2009 that would have repealed the death penalty, done away with the Electoral College in Colorado, and given in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.”
I don’t want to speak for Senator Penry himself. I recommend you contact the campaign yourself to find out more detail on his record and his views. (http://www.penryforgovernor.com/contact-us/)