Outside money at a record high in Colorado’s Senate Race

Since January 2010, spending by outside organizations to influence congressional elections totals some $57 million--up more than $20 million from a comparable time period in 2006, the most recent non-presidential election cycle--according to reports collected by the Federal Election Commission.

The Colorado Senate race pitting Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet against the tea party-supported Republican nominee, Ken Buck, has drawn substantial attention, ranking fourth among elections with the most outside spending. Outside groups have spent $3.4 million to influence that election. The Senate Conservatives Fund, a leadership PAC set up by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has spent $140,000 supporting Buck, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the official party committee of Senate Democrats, devoted $1.67 million to defeating him. The League of Conservation Voters Fund, SEIU and Working America are supporting Bennet, while Amerian Crossroads--Karl Rove's highly publicized group--and the Club for Growth have opposed him. Overall, outside groups have doled out $311,000 to reelect Bennet and $1.3 million to retire him.      – More -