A recent $25,528.52 campaign donation to Colorado State House District 61 candidate Rick Davis from the Colorado Democratic Party has nearly balanced campaign contributions between two of the three race’s candidates. One-term incumbent Republican candidate Gregg Rippy is still leading in contributions to his campaign, according to reports filed Oct. 14 to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. So far, the Committee to Elect Gregg Rippy, chaired by Glenwood Springs accountant Steve Lampman, has raised $39,380.Democratic challenger Rick Davis raised $11,902, according to reports filed Oct. 9. However, because of the large contribution the Colorado Democratic Party made to the Committee to Elect Rick Davis on Oct. 13 after the last report filing, Davis’ total is now $37,430.This leaves Rippy ahead by $1,949.Colorado Democratic Party made the five-figure donation to bring Davis up to the same campaign funding level as Rippy, party spokesman Cody Wertz said.”We have a great candidate,” Wertz said of Davis. “We need citizens to be able to see and hear what Rick’s stand on the issues are.”It’s a competitive race,” he added. “There are such key issues in District 61, such as health care, transportation and water.”The Committee for the Election of Abba Krieger, whose registered agent is Krieger himself, reports $50 in campaign contributions as of Oct. 13. Krieger is a Natural Law Party candidate. His lone contributor is Deanna Raso. Rippy had $19,966 left over from his 2000 campaign for the District 57 race, after donating $5,000 in leftover funds to a public education science project called Seeds in Space.Rippy’s top contributor is Colorado Republicans. The group donated $3,893 to Rippy’s campaign. Rippy’s $1,000 contributors include Colorado Ski Country USA, David Armbruster, William Rippy, Save Our State, Electronic Data Systems, Koch Industries, AGC Colorado Construction, GMCO LLC, Roaring Fork Reclamation, Qwest, Alpine Bank & Trust, Colorado Horse Racing Association, Mark Gould, Roaring Fork Aggregates, Roaring Fork Resources, Roaring Fork Sand & Gravel, Host Pac, Jeremy Henderson, Kathy Weiss, Nelson Parsons and Richard Stephenson. Contributions made to Rippy’s campaign between $500-$800 include Walt Stowe, Xcel Energy, Prince Creek Construction, Colorado Cable TV Association, Harold Elam, John Haines, Philip Morris Inc., Associated Builders, AT&T Wireless, Donald Vanderhoof, Jennifer Lowell, Land Title Guarantee, Lawrence Winnerman, Michael Barnes, Paul Pine, Racing Associates of Colorado, Resource Financial Planning, Stephen Davis, Joseph Bailey, Ken Kriz, Patricia Harris, Mike Fattor, The Copic Trust and Chevron Texaco. The Committee to Elect Rick Davis started reporting campaign donations in June 2002. Davis’ $1,000 contributors include the Colorado Fund for Children, UFCW No. 7 Political Education Fund, Pipefitters Local 208, Worrell, Griffith & Durrett, Colorado AFL CIO, The Committee on Political Activism, CWA-COPE PCC, Jared Polis and Dwight Shellman.The Colorado Democratic Party made a $750 donation in July 2002, two more $750 donations in August, a $750 donation in September, and a $750 donation in October. These donations are not included in the party’s $25,000-plus contribution made to Davis. Davis received donations in the $200-$500 range from the Garfield County Democrats, the Gunnison County Democrats, Raymond Dittamore, Silver Spoon, Dan Weitzenkorn, John Horan-Kates, Carpetmax of Glenwood Springs, Maudlin Brothers Plumbing, Alice Madden, Jennifer Viega, Transportation Political Education, Lisa Weil, Jay Kenney and Steven Zansberg, Pitkin County politicos who contributed $100 or less to Davis’ campaign include Mick Ireland, Dorothea Farris and Rachel Richards.