Hickenlooper outraises Gardner in Q1 in Colorado Senate race

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) outraised Sen. Cory Gardner (R) in the latest quarter in Colorado’s high-profile Senate race.

Hickenlooper, who launched his senate campaign after dropping out of the White House race, raised more than $4 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared with about $2.4 million for Gardner, according to new filings with the Federal Election Commission. However, Hickenlooper has only about $4.9 million in the bank, while Gardner has $9.6 million cash on hand. 

Hickenlooper announced his Senate campaign against Gardner in August after lackluster polling forced him out of the presidential race. He had previously ruled out a Senate run but was heavily courted by establishment Democrats who are eager to unseat Gardner. 

The former governor will have to face off against a host of other Democrats in Colorado’s primary scheduled for June but has the backing of the party’s Senate campaign arm and is the favorite to win.

Gardner is considered to be one of the most vulnerable Republican senators up for reelection next year, especially given Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s victory over Trump in Colorado in 2016. 

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates the Colorado race as a “toss-up.”