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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The National Republican Congressional Committee has not donated any money to 2nd Congressional District candidate LaVar Christensen and political experts say that's unlikely to change.
"I would be dumbfounded if another dollar goes to another challenger race anywhere in the country," said Eddie Mahe, a former deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee who also ran two of Mike Leavitt's gubernatorial campaigns. "It's a lost cause for getting any national support."
Christensen is attempting to unseat Democrat Jim Matheson. But the NRCC is more focused on other races, donating anywhere from $900,000 to a candidate in Pennsylvania to $1.6 million to one in Ohio.
The party's unwillingness to put money in the 2nd District "is one of the big signs that they don't consider it a competitive race," said Kirk Jowers, a campaign-finance expert and director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.
Christensen says he doesn't need the help. He has put $600,000 of his own money into the race. He says he is in regular contact with the NRCC but hasn't had to ask them for assistance.
"I haven't gone to them for anything. They don't need to do as much because I'm doing so much more than other candidates have done," Christensen said. "I'm keeping my eye on Election Day. I'm pressing on, trying to communicate with Utahns."
If he were to ask, the party would consider the request, said NRCC spokeswoman Mary-Sarah Kinner.
"Our funding decisions are fluid at this point," she said. "There's always a possibility of anything."
Jowers said that was unlikely.
"It's essentially the party throwing up the white flag that they know this is over for this seat" and is now focusing its finances on defending vulnerable Republicans in other states, Jowers said.
Utah Republican Party Executive Director Jeff Hartley said he hopes the national party comes around but recognizes it may be difficult this election.
"(Christensen) is still putting cash in and raising cash, but the level of support that the national committee has given in the past is significant, and we think if we had that this year we could put this seat in play," Hartley said. "But given the contested races around the country and the need for NRCC to defend incumbents first, the pot of money will empty quite quickly."
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
