Heading to the Republican Assembly in Colorado last weekend, two Republican Senate candidates were almost tied when it came to their military basket.
They both made fortunes in construction and each applied it as contributions and loans for their own campaigns, recently submitted records to fund campaigns covering March 31st. Each of the candidates’ military chests exceeds the total number of the other four Republicans vying for the seat.
But only one of these relatively well-funded campaigns is still in place – that of Joe O’De, the CEO of a construction company, who submitted a petition to vote. Republican loyalists shattered the hopes of Fort Collins developer Gino Campana, the only other Republican candidate to say he raised more than $ 1 million, at the party’s April 9th state meeting.
Instead, delegates backed U.S. Representative Ron Hanks, a Fremont County Republican and a candidate in the 2020 presidential election, who also had some of the lowest fundraising records in the area. But then the money didn’t matter – with about 39% of the vote, Hanks cleared the field to face O’Dia in the June 28 primary.
The March 31 campaign funding reports, filed on April 15, are the only view Colorado residents have of raising funds and spending from candidates ahead of the June 28 primary. While a lot of money may be flowing between now and this election, these reports show a gap between Hanks and O’Dee at the start of their post-assembly race – and that anyone who shows up there will face a starter with millions to spend and without primary elections.
O’De said $ 1.45 million had been raised by March 31, including $ 632,000 of his own money and nearly $ 610,000 in cash. Hanks said he had raised nearly $ 58,000, 30,000 of which came from his own pockets. He had $ 16,000 in cash to end the month.
Michael Bennett, who has been in the U.S. Senate since 2009 and is seeking his third full term, reported more than $ 6 million in cash while waiting to see which Republican will win the party’s nomination.
The current members of Congress have a great monetary advantage
All current members of the Colorado Congress – Democrats Diane Degett, Joe Neguz and Jason Crowe and Republicans Lauren Bobert, Ken Buck and Doug Lamborne – entered the spring with big monetary advantages over their rivals.
Boebert, an incredible fundraiser who represents the 3rd Congressional District, reported nearly $ 2.2 million in cash at the end of the first filing period. U.S. Sen. Don Coram, who is challenging Beabert for the Republican nomination for the seat, announced about $ 55,000 by hand. He filed a petition in the ballot.
Democrats campaigning for a 3rd congressional nomination similarly kicked off the spring with unequal finances: Adam Frisch reported $ 1.67 million in cash at the end of March, most of it from a $ 1.5 million loan. which he gave for his campaign. He filed a petition for the primary vote, as did Alex Walker.
Walker reported about $ 69,000 in cash to end the fundraising quarter. Sol Sandoval, who won a seat in the Democrats’ primary vote, said about $ 93,000 in cash.
With the exception of Frisch, State Sen. Kerry Donovan alone has reached the $ 1 million mark in total fundraising, with a total of nearly $ 1.95 million raised. However, the relocation of Congress took her home out of the county and she withdrew her candidacy. However, she still had $ 403,000 in the campaign bank.
Among other Republicans, Buck reported $ 625,000 in the bank of Democrat Isaac McCorkell’s nearly $ 171,000 in the 4th Congressional race. In the 5th Congressional District, Doug Lamborne reported $ 435,000 in cash. Republican rivals Rebecca Celty and Andrew Heaton have less than $ 4,000 in cash.
Republicans Bob Lewis and State Representative Dave Williams will appear in the primary vote for the 4th and 5th districts of Congress, respectively, after qualifying through the district assemblies. No report on the financing of the campaign has been submitted to the FEC.
Democrats Michael Columbus and David Torres, in fifth place, said they ended the quarter with about $ 16,800 and $ 3,800 in the bank, respectively.
Democratic leaders also face early advantages. DeGette had $ 530,000 in Democratic candidate Neil Valia’s bank, $ 37,000 for a seat in the 1st Congressional District; Neguse, who has no major party contenders to the FEC, had $ 1.6 million to defend his seat in Congress’ 2nd constituency; and Crowe had $ 1.9 million to defend the 6th Congressional District. None of his registered contenders said he had raised more than $ 10,000.
In the competitions for the two open places in Colorado, the documents show a much closer fundraising
In the race for the open seat in the 7th Congressional District of Colorado, another candidate stood out with self-financing. Republican Tim Reichert said he had more than $ 711,000 in cash at the end of the quarter, backed by a $ 500,000 loan he gave for his campaign.
The only other Republican in the race to finish the quarter with more than $ 100,000 in hand, Brad Dempsey, failed to qualify for the primary vote by petition. He told Colorado Politics he planned to challenge the decision.
The other two Republicans running in this primary, Eric Adland and Laurel Immer, said early April had about $ 56,000 and $ 12,000 in the bank, respectively.
U.S. Sen. Brittany Petersen, the only Democrat in the 7th district race to replace retired Democrat Ed Pearlmouth from the United States, went $ 490,000 in the spring.
For the new 8th Congressional District, Thornton Mayor Ian Culman announced the thickest portfolio in her four Republican primary races – but elsewhere there is almost no separation.
Culman reported $ 309,000 at the bank, Tyler Alcorn reported $ 208,000, U.S. Sen. Barbara Kirkmeier reported $ 174,000, and Weld County Commissioner Lori Sein said about $ 141,000.
U.S. Representative Yadira Caraveo, the only Democrat looking for the seat, ended the quarter with $ 326,000 in hand.
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