Surveying the money landscape in CD3

With the first quarter coming to a close, John Shadegg’s political office is focused on raising money.

Chief-of-Staff Sean Noble says is the re-election campaign trying to “replenish the funds” after the slow-down in fundraising after Shadegg’s initial announcement that he was retiring last month.

“We want to be back up and maintain a cash balance,” Noble said.

The campaign is sending out email and direct mail appeals to supporters. It is also dispatching Shadegg himself to make calls to donors.

Shadegg has asked supporters to contribute $300,000 to the campaign coffers by the end of the quarter, the AP reported Thursday.

Andrew Eldredge-Martin, the campaign manager for Democratic challenger Bob Lord, said the Shadegg team was trying to artificially lower expectations.

“I expect Congressman Shadegg to raise well over $600,000 in the current quarter," Eldredge-Martin said, speculating that the supporters who asked Shadegg to re-join the race would back up their requests with cash.

Eldredge-Martin would not divulge his own campaign’s money take-in, but said that a recent fundraising event with former Democratic Senate candidate Jim Pederson “exceeded expectations” and that “our fundraising has been very strong this quarter.”