Cannon gets jump on raising race funds

Perhaps tired of being challenged by fellow Republicans every two years, Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, is fund raising as never before in anticipation of his sixth run in the 3rd Congressional District next year.

Newly filed Federal Election Commission reports show Cannon has raised twice as much money the past three months as he did during the same time in 2003 — a year out from re-election.

And Cannon now has more than three times as much cash on hand as at the same time two years ago.

While not in the same boat as Cannon, Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, also has more cash in his campaign accounts this year than he did the same time before his 2004 re-election. Bishop, however, has not seen intraparty challenges since he won his seat in 2002.

Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, always raises and spends more campaign cash than either Cannon or Bishop — who as Republicans are much safer in their seats. As reported previously, Matheson has $333,346 in campaign cash, new reports show.

Cannon has apparently decided that enough is enough with the intraparty challenge stuff.

Although a conservative by any measurement, Cannon had two serious GOP challengers in 2002, another two in 2004. Both were dispatched either through convention or by primary victories.

Intraparty challenges are embarrassing, to say the least, and strategically troublesome, taking away financial and organizational efforts best reserved for the final election.

By the June 2004 GOP 3rd District primary, Cannon had spent around $300,000 to defeat former state Rep. Matt Throckmorton, 58-42 percent. But a year out from that primary victory, Cannon had only $17,000 in his campaign account, not enough to frighten off even the poorest GOP wannabe.

Cannon could not be reached for comment about his latest fund raising. His campaign treasurer, state Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said Cannon is indeed fund raising more this year "to have the resources to run an effective public relations political campaign" early next year.

Cannon was attacked in radio ads and on billboards by several national groups critical of his legislation that would create guest-worker status for farm workers who have illegally entered the country. Throckmorton also took him to task over the issue.

More money early on can discourage another Republican from challenging him, and it gives Cannon more options in dealing with any more "anti-immigration" attacks, said Joe Hunter, Cannon's chief of staff.

Having adequate campaign funds early "is important; we can be a little more active" in battling any negative campaign that could come against Cannon the spring of 2006, Bramble said.