January 05, 2010 12:34 AM UTC

Good News for Ritter: DGA Banks Big Bucks

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Democratic Governors Association announced today that it raised $23.1 million in 2009, more than any year in its history. According to a press release (full text after the jump), the DGA’s $17.5 million cash on hand is 12 times more money than they had in the bank at this time in 2006.

Of course, as the same press release notes, the Republican Governors Association has traditionally outraised the DGA by wide margins. But in a state with low contribution limits for Governor, any outside money that will come into Colorado will play a huge role.

The Democratic Governors Association raised $23.1 million in 2009, more than ever before in the organization’s history, and will start the 2010 election cycle with nearly 12 times as much cash on hand as 2006, the last equivalent election cycle, Chairman Gov. Jack Markell announced today.

“Americans are focused on restoring prosperity in this country, and it’s thanks to their broad support for our ideas that we hit a historic fundraising high in 2009,” Gov. Markell said. “The 2010 elections will be a contest between moving our country along a path of progress or making a U-turn to the failed ideas that created the Great Recession. In this election, ideas will win – and Americans are looking for governors who will put people first, who will rebuild the American Dream and who will invest in our children.”

“Voters will have a stark choice this November – move forward or go back,” said Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, DGA vice chairman. “Our supporters know that Democratic governors and candidates are working round the clock on the biggest priorities of this year: jobs, jobs and jobs. We look forward to an election where we can run on our records of turning the corner on this recession and rebuilding our economies.”

The DGA’s 2009 fundraising marks the second year in a row and the first off-year in which the DGA raised more than $20 million. Fourth quarter fundraising was by far the strongest, with more than $7 million in contributions received during the period. December contributions alone totaled nearly $4 million.

The record-breaking fundraising means that the DGA begins 2010, the most critical gubernatorial cycle in a generation, with $17.5 million on hand. In the equivalent election cycle in 2006, the DGA carried over $1.5 million and spent less than $14 million on races that year.

The Republican Governors Association has historically outraised the DGA by wide margins. In spite of the fundraising gap, since 2007, the DGA has won twice as many targeted governors races as the RGA. The DGA’s strong cash-on-hand position means that it will be able to spend at a competitive level with the RGA in this critical cycle.

“We always knew we had the better candidates and ideas,” said Nathan Daschle, executive director of the DGA.  “Now we know that we’ll have the resources to get our message out. In this critical election year, DGA has never been in a better position to compete.”

Four out of five Americans will elect a governor in November, with 37 races on the ballot, including marquee governorships like California, Florida and Texas. Most of the governors elected this year will oversee the redistricting process that will shape the political landscape for a generation to come. The DGA began planning for this election cycle four years ago, through Project 2010.