Keeping Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) in office in what should be a safe district has cost the GOP big bucks, and that's money they may not have to spend this time around.
According to Washington political newsletter "The Hill," The National Republican Congressional Committee - charged with helping GOP candidates for House seats - has only $1.6 million in cash and a mountainous $7.3 million in debt, far behind the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. After two consecutive near misses unseating Musgrave and the GOP's popularity continuing to slide nationally, the DCCC sees the fourth district seat as enticingly low-hanging fruit, and is likely to invest heavily in her opponent, whoever he may be.
Musgrave's expensive close shaves have had GOP officials grumbling about cutting off her allowance, and her own fundraising efforts have been relatively weak so far this year: she had only $267,000 at the end of March, according to election filings. Keeping those checks coming in won't get any easier - a huge chunk of her money comes from her role as a national leader against gay rights, a hard-right image she's trying hard to tone down in order to broaden her appeal at home.