Freshman U.S. Representative Betsy Markey, the Democrat who ousted Marilyn Musgrave in a bitter election battle last year, seems to be sending a clear warning message to any would-be competitors: Back off unless you're flush with cash. Markey, who represents the massive Fourth Congressional District, had raised $342,000 through March 31--her first three months in office--eclipsing a record ($263,900) set in 2007 by fellow Democratic Representative Ed Perlmutter, reports The Denver Post [2]. Kyle Saunders, a political science professor at CSU, tells the Fort Collins Coloradoan [3] that "the more money Markey can raise prior to the contest actually being joined, the stronger the signal will be to potential competitors that this will be a difficult seat to recapture for the Republicans."