The contest in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District is turning out to be the state’s most expensive House race nearly a year before voters will choose the nominees.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, the first-term Republican from Silt with a knack for generating controversy, pulled in more campaign cash than any other congressional candidate in the state for the just-ended second quarter, with her leading challenger posting the next-highest total.

Boebert, the owner of a gun-themed restaurant and vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, reported raising $941,679 for the three-month period, which ended June 30. She had $1,262,630 in the bank at the end of the quarter.

At the same time, state Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail, reported raising $535,751 – more than the combined total brought in by the other six Democrats running for the chance to take on Boebert in next year’s election. Donovan reported $479,246 on hand.

State Rep. Don Valdez, D-La Jara, and Pueblo activist Sol Sandoval are the other Democrats running against Boebert who broke six figures in the most recent quarter. Valdez raised $121,292 and had $45,560 on hand, while Sandoval raised $113,889 and had $33,729 on hand.

Campaign finance reports for congressional candidates were due to the Federal Election Commission by midnight Thursday.

The congressional candidates who raised the next-highest amounts are a pair of young Democrats serving their second terms representing districts adjacent to the Denver metro area, though neither has yet drawn a Republican challenger.

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, an attorney and Army Ranger veteran in the 6th Congressional District, raised $319,411, and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, an attorney and former head of Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies in the 2nd Congressional District, raised $234,661 for the quarter.

The two, who each served as a House manager during Trump’s impeachment trials – Crow in 2020 and Neguse earlier this year – finished the quarter with more cash on hand than any of the other congressional candidates, Crow with $1,636,083 and Neguse with $1,307,156.

After Boebert, whose  $1,262,630 was the third-highest cash-on-hand total, comes U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, an Arvada Democrat serving his eighth term representing the suburban 7th Congressional District. After raising $161,757, he finished the quarter with $1,002,817 in the bank.

Perlmutter is the only Democrat in the House delegation with an announced Republican challenger,  but his opponent is lagging far behind in fundraising.

Laurel Imer, who lost a bid for a legislative seat last year, reported taking in $6,530 for the quarter and had $2,308 on hand.

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, the Windsor Republican who chaired the state GOP for a term until earlier this year, raised $152,724 for the quarter and had $384,263 in the bank.

Ike McCorkle, the Democrat hoping for a rematch after losing to Buck last year in the heavily Republican 4th Congressional District, raised just $35,366 and had $159,965 in the bank.

The two longest-serving members of Colorado’s delegation – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Springs Republican, both attorneys – also represent the most heavily Democratic and most heavily Republican districts, respectively.

DeGette, who is facing a primary challenge from the left, reported raising $100,988 and had $302,998 in the bank. Neal Walia, the young Democrat who filed to run against DeGette after the end of the second quarter, has yet to report any fundraising activity.

Lamborn raised $54,800 for the quarter and had $432,336 on hand. He’s facing a handful of challengers, though none have reported raising more than a couple thousand dollars.