When it comes to some political issues, there’s not much separating Josh Penry from his former boss Scott McInnis. Both of the Grand Junction Republicans are positioning themselves to face Democratic Governor Bill Ritter in next year’s election. Hence, the two share the view that Ritter should not have supported a federal decision that the oil industry claims will make it harder to develop oil-shale deposits on the Western Slope, according to the Sentinel.

Yet, of the two, Penry (pictured), the minority leader for the Colorado House, is overwhelmingly the hometown favorite, if campaign contributions are a good barometer for measuring popular support. Penry raked in almost $140,000 in donations from Grand Junction supporters during the third quarter—almost five times more than former Congressman McInnis, reports The Denver Post. McInnis, however, brought in more money across the state, collecting $545,000 compared to Penry’s $400,000.

Meanwhile, campaign commercials for Ritter are already airing on television, thanks to the nonprofit Colorado’s On the Move, directed by Mike Melanson, who ran Mark Udall’s U.S. Senate campaign last year. The group has spent more than $163,000 to air an ad that promotes Ritter’s “New Energy Economy” and highlights Forbes’ ranking of Colorado as the fourth-best state for business, according to 9News. Ritter raised $450,000 in his last quarter, including big donations from dentists, officials with Dish Network and Echostar, and unions (despite confrontations he’s had with workers in the past), the Post points out.