Days before Election Day on Tuesday, campaign finance reports are showing which races and issues in Larimer County are getting the most attention in terms of dollars.
The Senate District 15 race between Rob Woodward and Janice Marchman is bringing in the most money: more than $465,000, which is four times the amount of the next closest race in Larimer County, the County Commissioner’s District 1 race.
When it comes to fundraising for ballot issues, Fort Collins voters topped the list for their chosen ballot measure with more than $100,000 in donations.
Larimer County Commission District 1: Smith beats Kefalas thanks to big 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 leading his Democratic opponent John Kefalas.
Kefalas’ campaign has received $56,306.43 by the Nov. 4 filing period and has received no contributions from Larimer County Democrats. Kefalas has spent almost all of his funds — $52,305.65 — largely on advertising and screening phone calls. His campaign had $6,726.64 with four days left before Election Day.
During the last filing period, Kefalas raised nearly $4,000, all from smaller donations ranging from $10 to $250.
Smith’s campaign has brought in $59,691 as of Oct. 18, the latest campaign finance filing, including $17,500 from Larimer County Republicans. Smith has spent $24,559.80, mostly on advertising. His campaign still has $35,131.20 as of October 18th.
During the last filing period, which ended Oct. 18, Smith raised about $11,000, including $2,500 from the real estate candidate’s PAC and $12,250 from the committee of small real estate donors, as well as three individual donations of more than $1,000 and several smaller donations.
Colorado 2022 Voting Guide:Larimer County Top Races, General Election Ballot Issues
The ranked choice voting initiative has raised nearly $100,000 in donations
The choice vote, the most hotly debated issue Fort Collins residents will be voting on this November, has brought in all kinds of money.
Better Ballot Fort Collins, also known as Ranked Choice Voting in Fort Collins, has raised $72,898.06 since the start of the election season.
RCV’s biggest donors to Fort Collins were Kent Thiry, a Denver-based businessman and philanthropist who gave $25,000, and FairVote Action, an organization that promotes RCV across the country, which gave $5,000.
The majority of the commission’s expenditure has been for advertising, both digitally and in printed e-mails.
Community for Fair Elections, the committee’s campaign against ranked-choice voting, has raised $24,944.58 this election season. Most 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 Fort Collins-based nonprofit that “educates voters about fundamental issues including job creation, government waste and overreach, and the ability for families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn.”
Most of the money brought in by Community for Fair Elections has also gone to advertising, namely through text messages and robocalls, with some money for signage.
Fair Council Pay is the only committee registered with the council to decide whether to increase the council’s compensation.
As of the Oct. 25 filing of campaign finance reports with the council, Fair Council Pay has raised a total of $969.26. A large amount of the commission’s expenses have been in Facebook ad fees, according to the document.
No committee has been formed for or against the ballot issue proposing a move for a general election 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 Precinct 52: Kipp continues to overthrow Vicino
The Oct. 31 campaign finance filing date shows 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.
More recently, Kipp has received significant donations from the Colorado Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Small Donation Congress, which contributed $1,000 this term, and the Monica PAC, a group working to elect Democratic candidates for state, local office and politics. Issues in line with the Democratic Party, which gave $400 during this filing period.
Vicino recently received significant donations of $400 each from Mark Aspinall and Buckle Up PAC, the political committee of Rep. Mike Lynch to support Republican candidates for state representative.
House District 53: Boesenecker adds $20,000 last month, Walter $0
Campaign finance reports filed Oct. 31 show Rep. Andrew Boesenecker has raised nearly $20,000 more for his campaign since Colorado last reported.
Boesenecker’s biggest recent donors have been Michael Nimmo, who gave $800; and with contributions of $400 each, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association Colorado PAC—a group created to support legislative and executive candidates and committees, regardless of political affiliation; and Nicole Quintana.
His challenger, Donna Walter, has yet to receive any campaign contributions.
Larimer County Assessor: Incumbent Overcoming Challenger
According to campaign finance reports filed Oct. 18, Republican David Eisenbraun raises nearly twice as much money as Bob Overbeck.
By the end of October, Eisenbraun had raised more than $40,000 and Overbeck had raised more than $12,000.
Eisenbraun, a Windsor town planner, is getting extensive financial support from developers and real estate professionals, including $2,500 from Larry Buckendorf, an attorney with Journey Homes LLC; $2,000 by 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, Greeley real estate professional; and $1,000 from Dean Brown of Broe Real Estate Group.
Overbeck, a former Fort Collins City Council member, had mostly small donations in October, except for $1,000 from Illinois resident Maureen Overbeck.
Larimer County Clerk: Little fundraising on both sides
Secretary General Angela Myers has raised more than $10,000 in her campaign for her last term, with a total of $7,500 coming from the Larimer County Republican Party.
Myers’ challenger Toni Baker has raised about $2,000, mostly from small donors. His largest donation was $500, from Marion Edey of Silver Spring, Maryland.
Larimer County Doctor: Canaga clearly outranks Hanks
Republican candidate Matthew Canaga has raised eight times more than his Democratic opponent Stephen Hanks.
Canaga has raised $52,001.89 as of Nov. 4, mostly in advertising, including signs and mailings. Canaga’s campaign received $10,000 from Larimer County Republicans. Canaga had $20,819.91 left by the Nov. 4 filing deadline.
Hanks has raised $6,390 and spent almost all of it — mostly on advertising — since Nov. 4.
Senate District 15: Woodward outspends Marchman by nearly $100,000
Incumbent Rob Woodward has outpaced his opponent in fundraising throughout the campaign. Woodward’s largest donation was $11,000 to 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 Oct. 31, Woodward had raised $283,103.68 in contributions.
Janice Marchman’s campaign received significant donations during October. Her biggest donations were to the Colorado Democratic Party ($10,000), Emily’s List Colorado ($4,500) and the Food and Commercial Workers Union’s Active Voting Club ($2,675).
Through October 31, Marchman had raised $182,534.33.
House District 49: Amabile’s fundraiser over rivals
Candidate Judy Amabile, a Democrat, raised $75,563.88 during her campaign. She received several $2,000 donations from small donor committees such as Healthier Colorado, Colorado Wins and the Public Education Committee. His donations came from individual donors. Amabile added about $10,000 to her total contributions during the month of October.
Amabile’s Republican challenger, Katie Lehr, raised less than $4,000 during the month of October, bringing her total campaign contributions to $24,115.59 through the October 31 period. His largest contribution remains a $5,000 donation to the Larimer County Republican Party.
Daniel Lutz, a Libertarian who entered the race, raised $3,300.95 through the Oct. 31 deadline. Its donors were the only donations from private individuals.
House District 65: Lynch beats Chollet
Candidate Mike Lynch, a Republican running in the revamped 65th District, raised $40,287.90, adding about $3,000 in donations over the past two weeks. Lynch received large 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).
Democrat Lisa Chollet has raised $17,175.57 in total campaign contributions. Her top donors are the Poudre Education Association ($2,000) and the Weld County Democrats ($500). He raised about $1,700 in the last two weeks before the election, including a $500 donation from the Board of Public Education.
Together for Timnath fights the redistricting of the City Council
In Timnath’s favor, the committee registered to oppose the proposed amendment to Timnath’s redistricting efforts reported having nearly $5,800 on hand at the end of the filing period in October, including $1,425 raised in the last two weeks of October.
Lindsey Miller, owner of The Hidden Stem in Timnath, donated $300, while Advancing Northern Colorado in Loveland donated $200 during the reporting period, but $3,200 overall.
Advancing Northern Colorado bills itself as a corporation that raises public policy awareness in Northern Colorado. Tom Lucero of Loveland is listed as a registered agent with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.
Issue 3H of the ballot would stall the planned redistricting of council seats until more registered voters live in Timnath. Issue 3 asks voters to change the date of municipal elections from April to November starting in 2028.
