Love raises $476,000 in race against Matheson

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Washington • Republican congressional candidate Mia Love flexed her fundraising muscles in the past three months, amassing $476,000 for her rematch with Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.

That's far more than Matheson's total of $257,000, but the congressman still holds a slight advantage when it comes to available cash. He has $460,000 at his disposal while Love has $456,000, according to reports filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission.

"This is only the beginning," Love said in a statement. "Besides building a tremendous base of financial support, our campaign is developing strong grass-roots organizational support throughout the entire 4th Congressional District. That support from thousands of Utahns will result in victory in 2014."

Matheson begs to differ, saying: "I always raise what it takes. I'm pleased with my cash-on-hand totals and I am ahead of my pace to win again."

The 2012 showdown between Matheson and Love not only overshadowed every other contest in Utah, but also received national attention.

Love, the mayor of Saratoga Springs, would have been the first black Republican woman elected to Congress if she had won. But in the end, she couldn't unseat the formidable Matheson, one of the state's most popular politicians, who eked out a victory in the state's new 4th District by fewer than 800 votes.

Taking little time off, Love has already announced she's running again in 2014 and has hit the conservative speaking circuit. Since April, Love has raised more than $323,000 in small donations.

Matheson has stuck with his traditional campaign game plan, stockpiling donations from business executives and political action committees. From April to the end of June, 89 percent of the money he raised came from PACs.

mcanham@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mattcanham