Hickenlooper raises over a quarter of a million dollars in fundraising for federal PAC

Gov. John Hickenlooper’s foray into federal politics appears to be off to a strong start, raising more than a quarter of a million dollars in under a month.

But most of the term-limited governor’s donations to Giddy Up!, his new leadership Political Action Committee, came from within Colorado, a sign that he has yet to break into a national fundraising base that will be needed to sustain a presidential run.

Hickenlooper, the popular centrist governor who made Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential short list in 2016, is weighing a challenge to President Donald Trump. Creating a federal PAC to donate to other candidates and pay for staffers and travel is a popular first step for presidential hopefuls.

But before he can take on the commander-in-chief, he’ll need to beat dozens of Democrats who are expected to run for the party’s nomination. While Hickenlooper has long been considered a star in the Democratic Party and a potential presidential contender with a rising national profile, his name did not appear on a list of 16 potential candidates polled last week by CNN.

In total, Hickenlooper raised $278,750 from 67 individuals between Sept. 17 and Sept. 30, the end of the most recent fundraising period, according to federal campaign financial data. Fifty-one of those donors contributed the $5,000 maximum. Fewer than a dozen donors were from out of state, records show.

Read the full story from The Denver Post.