According to an email forwarded to the Inside Edge, 5th CD candidate Bentley Rayburn is holding a fund-raiser at Cool River Café in Greenwood Village Colorado on Friday March 28th starting at 7 PM. The fundraiser will be hosted by Mark Baisley, a well-known GOP activist in Douglas County and former state finance chair for the Republican Party.

“Colorado's 5th District, which includes El Paso County, Schriever Air Force Base, NORAD, Peterson Air Force Base, Fort Carson Army Base and Focus on the Family,” writes Baisley in his emailed invitation “has the opportunity to send someone to Congress who represents this community of social conservatism and military infrastructure like no one else I know.  I am convinced that retired Air Force General Bentley Rayburn is that person.”

Rayburn likely asked Baisley to host the fundraiser because of Baisley’s extensive contacts in the defense industry in Colorado. Baisley works as a contractor to the defense-intelligence community in Colorado and elsewhere.

“I know the defense industry has been very concerned about Colorado’s congressional delegation when it comes to representing the industry,” says one defense industry advisor, “They just don’t have people who understand the needs of this important sector of Colorado’s community.”

The Inside Edge has been hearing that with the 6th CD’s Tom Tancredo’s retirement and the opportunity to upgrade in the 5th CD to someone who better understands the need of the defense-intelligence sector, that the defense industry might end up more involved in fundraising in those primaries.

“Normally they wouldn’t get involved in a primary,” says our defense advisor, “and you probably won’t see the PACs get involved. But I think you’ll see individuals step up and maybe a 527 or two. The Republican delegation has really been that bad.”