Carmona touts funds from Republican, independent backers

By Alexandra Jaffe - 08/21/12 04:05 PM ET

Richard Carmona, the Democratic candidate for Arizona's open Senate seat, has monetary support from a prominent Republican and a prominent Independent, which his campaign believes indicates he could be competitive with the voting blocs he sorely needs to win the race.

Carmona in July received $2,500 from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a prominent Independent politician who has run for office before under both the Democratic and Republican parties. Bloomberg has made only four contributions this cycle, as of the last filing period, including $2,500 to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who faced a tough battle for the Republican nomination in his state, and Democratic candidate for Florida's 10th district Val Demings, one of the Democrats' top hopes to take a House seat.

He also received $1,000 in August from Van Hipp Jr., the former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, who now works for a defense lobbying firm. Hipp has contributed to a number of candidates from both parties this cycle, but has donated funds to Republicans more consistently, including presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former candidate Newt Gingrich.

"Dr. Carmona is grateful for the broad-based and bipartisan support his candidacy has attracted," said Carmona spokesman Andy Barr.

Despite that support, however, Carmona has a tough fight ahead for the seat, with two of the last three polls of the Senate race showing Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) in the lead — though the last survey, from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, showed them tied.

And Flake's campaign was quick to highlight the support the candidate has received from liberal groups, including a number of prominent Democratic lawmakers.

"As long as Richard Carmona is boasting about out-of-state contributions, I’d point out the thousands in donations he has received from the PACs of several unions, left-wing groups, and liberal leaders like Bernie Sanders, Al Franken, and Harry Reid that routinely work against the interests of Arizonans," said Flake spokesman Andrew Wilder.

--This post was published at 4:05 p.m. and updated at 4:53 p.m.