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<br /> Rocky Mountain News
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<br /> Megabucks Senate battle looms
<br /> GOP Sen. Allard, his leading Democratic foe Strickland pile up cash
<br /> By M.E. Sprengelmeyer and Lynn Bartels, News Staff Writers
<br /> April 16, 2002
<br /> National attention has turned Colorado's U.S. Senate race into a nearly $5 million battle between Sen. Wayne
<br /> Allard and leading Democratic challenger Tom Strickland.
<br /> With more than six months to go before the November election, Strickland has narrowed the fund- raising gap
<br /> with Allard, and each man has well over $1 million in the bank as the fight builds toward the busy summer
<br /> campaign.
<br /> Quarterly campaign finance reports released Monday show money is flowing freely into the battle for the U.S.
<br /> Senate and Colorado's seven congressional district seats.
<br /> The anticipated Allard - Strickland rematch continues to be the big -bucks battle of the year because both major
<br /> national parties believe it could help determine control of the Senate.
<br /> For the three -month period ending March 31, Strickland took in $763,666 compared with $577,572 for Allard.
<br /> Because Strickland did not announce his candidacy until August, he still trailed Allard in fund - raising over the
<br /> two -year election cycle with $2,101,471 compared with his opponent's $2,788,048.
<br /> In "cash on hand," a key indicator of what the campaigns have remaining in their arsenals, Allard has
<br /> $1,863,795 compared with $1,311,028 for Strickland.
<br /> Strickland's competition in the Democratic primary, Bruce Poulter, has raised only $3,306 in small
<br /> contributions, and had $930 in cash remaining. Libertarian Rick Stanley's figures were unavailable.
<br /> Fund - raisers by President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have helped boost Allard's coffers. He has
<br /> raised thousands of dollars from ranchers and retirees, the energy, banking and real- estate industries, and
<br /> defense - related groups.
<br /> From the energy industry, Allard drew contributions of $1,000 or more from political action committees
<br /> representing Shell Employees, Halliburton Co., Progress Energy, Constellation Energy, First Energy, the
<br /> Nuclear Energy Institute, Edison International, Duke Energy Corp., the American Gas Association, and El Paso
<br /> Corp. The Xcel Energy PAC gave Allard $4,000 for the period, or $7,697 since the two -year election cycle
<br /> began.
<br /> Allard serves on the Senate Banking committee and chairs its Housing subcommittee. He got heavy support
<br /> from the financial services and real- estate industries. He also got $1,000 from Irene Facha of New Jersey, a
<br /> HUD employee who testified before Allard's committee in 2000 on behalf of the American Federation of
<br /> Government Employees.
<br /> Ten employees of First American Corp. and its subsidiaries gave Allard $1,000 apiece. He got $1,000
<br /> contributions for the period from PACs representing Independent Community Bankers and Mortgage Bankers,
<br /> and $2,500 from MBNA Corp. PAC, and $5,000 from Credit Union Federal Legislative PAC.
<br /> Qwest PAC gave $5,000 for the reporting period, bringing the total to $10,000 since last year.
<br /> The Republican- backed Senate Majority Fund gave Allard $10,000, and the Alabama -based Defend America
<br /> PAC gave $10,000. Allard's campaign also got $74,800 as its share of the recent Denver fund - raiser featuring
<br /> Cheney. The remainder of the at least $208,260 raised at the event goes to a state Republican Party fund
<br /> benefiting federal candidates.
<br /> Allard's expenses include a $14,500 donation to a fund benefiting laid -off Enron employees. It's Allard's way of
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