Only days before Election Day on Tuesday, campaign finance reports are showing which races and issues in Larimer County are getting the most attention in the form of dollars.
The Senate District 15 race between Rob Woodward and Janice Marchman is drawing in the most money: more than $465,000, which is quadruple the next closest contest in Larimer County, the county commissioner District 1 race.
On fundraising for ballot issues, the ranked choice voting measure brought before Fort Collins voters tops the list, with more then $100,000 in donations.
Larimer County Commission District 1: Smith outraising Kefalas thanks to large donations
The Larimer County Commission District 1 race has brought in more than $115,000 as of Nov. 4, according to online campaign finance records. Republican candidate Justin Smith is still outraising his Democrat opponent, incumbent John Kefalas.
Kefalas’s campaign has received $56,306.43 as of the Nov. 4 filing deadline and has not received any contributions from the Larimer County Democrats. Kefalas has spent almost all of his funds — $52,305.65 — largely on advertising and canvassing phone calls. His campaign had $6,726.64 remaining with four days until Election Day.
In the most recent filing period, Kefalas raised almost $4,000, all from smaller donations ranging from $10 to $250.
Smith’s campaign has brought in $59,691 as of Oct. 18, which is the campaign’s most recent finance filing, with $17,500 of that coming from the Larimer County Republicans. Smith has spent $24,559.80, mostly on advertising. His campaign has still had $35,131.20 in remaining funds as of Oct. 18.
In the last filing period ending Oct. 18, Smith raised about $11,000, with $2,500 from the Realtor Candidate PAC and $12,250 from the Realtor Small Donor Committee, as well as three donations of more than $1,000 from individuals and several smaller donations.
Colorado 2022 voting guide:Larimer County’s top races, ballot issues in general election
Ranked choice voting initiative draws almost $100K in donations
Ranked choice voting, the most highly debated ballot issue Fort Collins residents will vote on this November, has brought in all kinds of money.
Better Ballot Fort Collins, also known as Ranked Choice Voting for Fort Collins, has raised $72,898.06 since the start of the election season.
The most recent biggest donors to RCV for Fort Collins have been Kent Thiry, a businessman and philanthropist based in Denver who donated $25,000, and FairVote Action, an organization promoting RCV across the country, which donated $5,000.
Most of the committee’s expenses have been for advertising, both digitally and printed mailers.
Community for Fair Elections, the committee campaign against ranked choice voting, has raised $24,944.58 this election season. A vast majority of the money raised by this committee has come from Citizens for a Sustainable Economy, which has donated $24,000 since the start of the election season.
Citizens for a Sustainable Economy is a nonprofit organization in Fort Collins that “educate(s) voters about cornerstone issues, including job creation, government waste and overreach, and the ability of families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn.”
Most of the money brought in by Community for Fair Elections has gone to advertising, as well, namely through texting and robocalls, with some money going to signage.
On the issue of whether to increase council compensation, Fair Council Pay is the only committee registered with the city.
As of the Oct. 25 filing date for campaign finance reports to the city, Fair Council Pay has raised a total of $969.26. A good amount of the committee’s expenses have been on Facebook advertising fees, according to the document.
There are no committees formed for or against the ballot issue proposing a general election move from April to November.
Related:You may be voting in a new district in Colorado this election. Here’s why, and how to check.
House District 52: Kipp still outraising Vicino
The Oct. 31 filing date for campaign finance shows that incumbent Cathy Kipp has still raised significantly more than challenger Dee Dee Vicino. Kipp has raised $55,660.72 this election season, while Vicino has raised $34,863.55.
Recently, Kipp has received significant donations from the Colorado American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations Nonpartisan Small Donor, which gave $1,000 this filing period, and the Monica PAC, a group working to elect Democratic candidates for state, local offices, and policy issues in line with the Democratic Party, which gave $400 this filing period.
Vicino has recently received significant donations — of $400 each — from Mark Aspinall and the Buckle Up PAC, a political committee of Rep. Mike Lynch to support Republican candidates running for state representative.
House District 53: Boesenecker adds $20K in last month, Walter at $0
Campaign finance reports filed on Oct. 31 show that incumbent Rep. Andrew Boesenecker has raised almost $20,000 more for his campaign since the Coloradoan’s last reporting.
Recently, Boesenecker’s largest donors have been Michael Nimmo, who gave $800; and with $400 contributions each, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association Colorado PAC — a group created to support executive and legislative candidates and committees regardless of political affiliation; and Nicole Quintana.
His challenger, Donna Walter, has still not received any campaign contributions.
Larimer County assessor: Challenger outraising incumbent
Campaign finance reports filed Oct. 18 show Republican David Eisenbraun raising nearly twice as much money as incumbent Bob Overbeck.
As of the end of October, Eisenbraun had raised more than $40,000 while Overbeck had raised just more than $12,000.
Eisenbraun, a town planner in Windsor, is getting broad financial support from developers and real estate professionals, including $2,500 from Larry Buckendorf, attorney for Journey Homes LLC; $2,000 from Casey Jagoras; $2,000 from Samson Jagoras of Growth Vue Properties in Windsor; $1,500 from Windsor developer Martin Lind; $1,500 from Hunter Hoshiko, a real estate professional in Greeley; and $1,000 from Dean Brown of Broe Real Estate Group.
Overbeck, the incumbent and former Fort Collins City Council member, had mostly small donations in October except for $1,000 from Maureen Overbeck, an Illinois resident.
Larimer County clerk: Low fundraising on both sides
Incumbent clerk Clerk Angela Myers has raised just more than $10,000 in her campaign for a final term in office, with $7,500 total coming from the Larimer County Republican Party.
Myers’ challenger, Toni Baker, has raised about $2,000, mostly from small donors. Her largest donation was $500, from Marion Edey of Silver Spring, Maryland.
Larimer County coroner: Canaga significantly outraises Hanks
Republican candidate Matthew Canaga has raised eight times more than his Democrat opponent, Stephen Hanks.
Canaga has raised $52,001.89 as of Nov. 4, mostly on advertising, including signs and mailers. Canaga’s campaign received $10,000 from the Larimer County Republicans. Canaga had $20,819.91 remaining at the Nov. 4 filing deadline.
Hanks has raised $6,390 and has spend almost all of it — mostly on advertising — as of Nov. 4.
Senate District 15: Woodward outraises Marchman by nearly $100,000
Incumbent Rob Woodward has stayed ahead of his opponent in fundraising throughout the campaign. Woodward’s biggest donation was $11,000 from the Larimer County Republican Party. He also received $5,350 from the Relator Small Donor Committee and $2,000 from the Lincoln Club of Colorado.
As of the latest Oct. 31 deadline, Woodward raised $283,103.68 in contributions.
Janice Marchman’s campaign received significant donations throughout October. Her biggest donations came from The Colorado Democratic Party ($10,000), Emily’s List Colorado ($4,500) and The United Food and Commercial Workers Union’s Active Ballot Club ($2,675).
As of the Oct. 31 deadline, Marchman raised $182,534.33.
House District 49: Incumbent Amabile fundraises well above opponents
Incumbent candidate Judy Amabile, a Democrat, raised $75,563.88 in contributions throughout her campaign. She received several $2,000 donations from small donor committees like Healthier Colorado, Colorado Wins and the Public Education Committee. The rest of her donations came from individual donors. Amabile added about $10,000 to her total contributions through the month of October.
Amabile’s Republican challenger, Katie Lehr, raised just less than $4,000 throughout October, bringing her total campaign contributions to $24,115.59 as of the Oct. 31 deadline. Her biggest contribution remains the $5,000 donation from the Larimer County Republican Party.
Daniel Lutz, a Libertarian who joined the race, raised $3,300.95 as of the Oct. 31 deadline. His donors were mostly single donations from private individuals.
House District 65: Incumbent Lynch outraising Chollet
Candidate Mike Lynch, a Republican incumbent running in the redrawn District 65, raised $40,287.90, adding about $3,000 in donations in the last two weeks. Lynch received major donations from the Larimer County Republican Party ($5,000), the Realtor Small Donor Committee ($5,350) and the Apartment Association of Metro Denver Small Donor Committee ($5,350).
Lisa Chollet, a Democrat, has raised $17,175.57 in total campaign contributions. Her major donors include the Poudre Education Association ($2,000) and the Weld County Democrats ($500). She raised about $1,700 in the last two weeks leading up to the election, including a $500 donation from the Public Education Committee.
Together for Timnath fights Town Council redistricting change
Together for Timnath, the issues committee registered to oppose a proposed change to redistricting efforts in Timnath, reported having nearly $5,800 on hand at the end of the October filing period, including $1,425 collected in the last two weeks of October.
Lindsey Miller, owner of The Hidden Stem in Timnath, donated $300, while Advancing Northern Colorado of Loveland donated $200 during the reporting period but $3,200 overall.
Advancing Northern Colorado bills itself as a corporation raising public policy awareness in Northern Colorado. Tom Lucero of Loveland is listed as the registered agent with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
Ballot issue 3H would put a hold on planned redistricting of council seats until there are more registered voters living in Timnath. Issue 3I asks voters to change the date of its municipal elections from April to November beginning in 2028.
