Ariz. race splits GOP, Tancredo

M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 9, 2006 at midnight

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WASHINGTON - An Arizona congressional race has sparked a rift between Rep. Tom Tancredo and the Colorado Republican Party.

Tancredo, a Littleton Republican, is backing a fellow, hard-line opponent of illegal immigration, Randy Graf, in Tuesday's GOP primary in an open-seat race.

Much of the national Republican establishment has lined up behind another candidate, Steve Huffman. This week, the Colorado Republican Committee sent Huffman a $5,000 contribution, Federal Election Commission records show.

The Colorado contribution angers Tancredo, who has used his profile on immigration to boost state Republicans recently.

"He's definitely not happy about it," spokesman Carlos Espinosa said Friday. "He wants to talk to them, figure out what's going on. This money should be more of a priority for state candidates."

The Team America PAC, founded by Tancredo and run by Bay Buchanan, has been actively campaigning for Graf.

In a message to supporters Friday, Buchanan denounced national Republicans for spending $150,000 on ads for Huffman, and the Colorado and New Mexico Republican parties for making $5,000 contributions.

"They're working overtime to beat a Tancredo/Team America candidate," Buchanan wrote.

Hans Gullickson, executive director of the Colorado Republican Party, defended the contribution, calling Huffman "clearly the most electable Republican in a district that is key to keeping a Republican majority."

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