Outside groups raise stakes for Matheson, Love

PAUL FOY
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Outside interest groups have spent more than $3.6 million in Utah's most hotly contested campaign between congressional candidate Mia Love and Democratic incumbent Jim Matheson.

The spending is almost exclusively on television advertising since mid-August, when the 4th District race heated up.

Matheson has benefited from about $1.8 million in spending on attack ads by groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Other groups are backing his Republican challenger nearly as much in the ad war. Love's largest benefactor - the National Republican Congressional Committee - has spent more than $1.3 million alone attacking Matheson.

All figures were reported to the Federal Election Commission as recently as 48 hours ago.

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