Colorado tops the nation for money being spent on a Senate race

Considered by some to host the most competitive Senate race in the country, Colorado is awash in political ads paid for by out-of-state groups.

The race ranks first-in-the-nation according to the amount of outside money being spent to sway voters. As of 4:45p.m. Friday, the website for the Sunlight Foundation, which tracks campaign contributions, listed $29,321,046 in total outside spending on the race. The money is coming in so fast the amount changes as the day goes on. The foundation's Nancy Watzman has been tracking the race pitting incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet against conservative Tea Party favorite Ken Buck.

Watzman says the amount being spent is partially due to the attractiveness of Colorado's relatively inexpensive media market, but the main driver is that the race is incredibly close.

"People don't spend money unless they think it's going to work," she points out. "It's not some charitable enterprise; they're out there to win."

The Real Clear Politics poll average has Buck ahead by just 1.6 percent. That average takes into account six different polls, each of which has the race well within its margin of error.

With the majority in the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance, the tightness of Colorado's race has outside interest groups clamoring to sway votes. Their efforts have been helped greatly by the January ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court which reversed decades-old legislation banning corporate spending in candidate elections.     – More -