Romney, Obama opened wallets

   Which presidential candidate got the most money from Colorado Springsarea residents?

   The answer is Mitt Romney, no surprise considering Republicans outnumber Democrats about 2-1 in the city and the run to the right by the former GOP Massachusetts governor before he dropped out of the race in February.

   What is remarkable is who's on Romney's heels - Democrat Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois and presumptive nominee for his party who's expected to face Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Obama raised $85,334 from the area, according to the latest records released June 2, just $591 short of Romney and far surpassing McCain's total of $55,350.

   "It's a different year, isn't it?" said Genie Blume, a Colorado Springs Democrat who gave $2,000 to Obama's campaign. "I'm not afraid to say I'm a lifelong Democrat. It's just like he's the person I've been waiting for to come along for years."

   A Gazette analysis of campaign finance records identified the leading money raisers from the area.

   Tad Foster, who gave $200 to McCain's campaign, said he's not surprised at the area's support for Obama. Foster said he favors McCain's positions on environmental issues such as global warming, but he figures most Colorado Springs Republicans would be attracted to political views closer to those held by Romney.

   "It's a much more conservative town than McCain probably attracts," Foster said.

   Another McCain contributor, Mark Vonarx, said he agrees with the Republican candidate's position on the Iraq war. But "it's going to be a real tough row for John McCain" because of disillusionment with the Bush administration, Vonarx said.

   Obama's cash advantage from the city came from far more contributors - 111 residents contributed an average of $769 to his campaign. McCain received an average of $1,006 from 55 donors.

   The Gazette analyzed data supplied by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group that follows money in campaigns. It includes examinations of donations from 16 ZIP codes that make up the city and area military bases. Itemized data is available only for contributions of $200 or more.

   Obama's also way ahead nationally, having raised nearly $270 million compared with McCain's less than $100 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Obama said Thursday that he would decline $80 million in taxpayer money to finance his campaign, which means he won't be subject to spending limits. McCain said he will accept public money.

   The Gazette's analysis suggests dramatic differences in political contributions in different parts of the city. For example, while the 80918 ZIP code has the largest number of registered voters in the city, just 31 people who live in its boundaries gave to a presidential campaign. The ZIP code covers a north-central area of Colorado Springs including the Garden Ranch, Vista Grande, Pulpit Rock and Nor'wood neighborhoods. The average donation was $694.

   Across town in 80906, slightly fewer people are registered to vote, but 125 donated to presidential campaigns. The ZIP code covers a large and diverse area that includes the wealthy Broadmoor and Skyway neighborhoods, and lower-income subdivisions such as Southgate. The average donation in 80906 was $1,040. Money from that ZIP code made up 38 percent of contributions throughout the city.

   Helen Holmgren is one of 28 people living in 80907 who gave money to a presidential candidate. The ZIP code includes several neighborhoods such as the Old North End, Venetian Village, Cragmor and Patty Jewett. Holmgren gave $200 to Obama in March, while he was locked in a battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination. She said she's given to presidential campaigns before, including those of Bill Clinton and John Kerry. She went door to door four years ago talking to neighbors about Kerry, a task she said was difficult in such a conservative city. The political atmosphere feels different this time, Holmgren said.

   "We have such a feeling that it's time for a major change in Washington," she said. "We've seen so many years of the same old, same old, and it's our real hope that he (Obama) will make a real difference there."

   Few residents of military bases gave money to presidential candidates. The Gazette's examination included the two ZIP codes that make up the Air Force Academy, and one ZIP code each for Fort Carson and Peterson Air Force Base.

   Just one Fort Carson resident gave money, soldier Mark Farris. He gave four contributions to Republican Ron Paul totaling $1,700. Paul broke one-day fundraising records during the campaign as his limitedgovernment message caught fire with some Republicans. Paul raised $27,244 from the Colorado Springs area before quitting the campaign on June 12.