A handful of Colorado candidates got a massive fundraising boost heading into the final weeks of election season, according to the latest campaign finance filings.
Three Democratic candidates raised over $2 million during the fundraising period spanning from July through September. One Republican candidate raised more than $1 million, with another getting close to that.
In the state’s neck-and-neck 8th Congressional District race, Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo raised a total of $2,214,922.83, with more than $1.8 million coming from individual donors and more than $400,000 coming from PACs and other joint fundraising committees.
Caraveo more than doubled what her Republican opponent Gabe Evans raised and goes into the home stretch with $2.3 million cash on hand.
State Rep. Evans raised $985,566.23, with about $505,000 coming from individuals and $474,000 from PACs and joint fundraising committees. Evans has much less cash on hand to spend in the final weeks, just over $820,000.
But both Evans and Caraveo have gotten outside help with spending from Republican and Democratic aligned groups topping $15 million.
GOP Lauren Boebert continues to boost Democratic fundraising
The Democratic candidate that raised the most this quarter was Trisha Calvarese, who is challenging Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert for the 4th Congressional District’s open seat. It gives Calvarese a campaign cash advantage in the last few weeks of the race.
Calvarese raised just under $2,689,000 with more than $2 million coming from small donors.
For Boebert, who switched districts to pursue the safer Republican seat, fundraising numbers continue to be lower than when she was running in her old seat. Boebert raised $532,195, with $491,00 coming from individuals and big donors just edging out small donors. About $38,000 came from PACs and joint fundraising committees.
Calvarese goes into the final three weeks with a lot more cash on hand than Boebert — $1.3 million versus almost $550,000. But given the strong Republican lean of the district, Calvarese will face a steep uphill climb to try and oust Boebert.
Meanwhile, in the 3rd Congressional District’s open seat, Democrat Adam Frisch continued to show fundraising strength. He posted $2,201,895, with $2.1 million from individuals and about $105,000 from PACs and joint fundraising committees.
Frisch has dwarfed the fundraising total of Boebert’s last campaign, when she was still running for re-election in her current seat, and that of Jeff Hurd, the current Republican nominee for the 3rd District.
Hurd had a strong fundraising quarter of his own, raising $1,036,982, with about $777,000 coming from individuals and about $249,000 coming from PACs.
Still, Frisch has about $2 million cash on hand in the Republican leaning district, while Hurd has about $700,000.
Other races and incumbents
In the contest for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, centered on El Paso County, Republican Jeff Crank outraised Democrat River Gassen.
Crank raised more than $244,000 and has $274,000 cash on hand. Gassen raised more than $77,000 and has $22,000 cash on hand.
Crank is on an easy path to Congress to replace retiring Rep. Doug Lamborn. His leadership PAC also donated to Hurd and Evans, as did Boebert’s.
Boebert’s leadership PAC also donated to GOP candidate John Fabbricatore, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Jason Crow in 6th district.
Fabbricatore raised $140,000 and has $81,000 cash on hand. Crow, who is not considered to be in any electoral jeopardy, raised $325,000 and has $1.7 million cash on hand.
The rest of Colorado’s Democratic incumbents also fared well. Rep. Joe Neguse raised over $460,000, Rep. Brittany Pettersen raised over $400,000 and Rep. Diana DeGette raised $174,000.
Their Republican challengers raised much less in comparison. In the 2nd District, GOP candidate Marshall Dawson raised $3,000 with under half coming from the candidate himself. In the 7th District, Sergei Matveyuk raised just under $20,000. And in the 1st District, Valdamar Archuleta raised just over $3,000, with more than half coming from the candidate.
