Hickenlooper tops Gardner, Mitsch Bush bests Boebert in fundraising
Democrats outraised Republicans in Colorado’s competitive federal elections this summer, following a national trend and highlighting Democratic enthusiasm here.
The numbers are most stark in Colorado’s U.S. Senate race, which will help determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress next year. John Hickenlooper, a Democratic challenger, raised $22.6 million and Republican Sen. Cory Gardner raised $7.8 million between July and September.
Hickenlooper’s record-breaking fundraising haul — the largest by any candidate in Colorado history — mirrors similarly historic fundraising totals for Democrats across the country. The Democrat also outraised the Republican in Colorado’s most competitive U.S. House race, for the 3rd Congressional District.
As he has done since entering the race last August, Hickenlooper pulled in large donations from wealthy donors, as well as a large number of small donors. A top Facebook lobbyist gave $2,800 and Twitter’s CFO donated the same amount, as did a Twitter attorney. Samuel R. Walton, heir to the vast Walmart fortune, also wrote a check for $2,800 — the maximum for individuals.
Hickenlooper, who has sworn off corporate political action committees, received $222,853 from other PACs. Donations of $5,000 came from PACs for at least 10 Democratic U.S. senators, as well as unions representing plasterers, cement masons, teachers, machinists and federal employees. Brady PAC, the gun control group, sent along $5,000, as did Planned Parenthood’s political action committee.
Gardner received $277,345 from PACs between July and September, including $5,000 donations from PACs for Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Josh Hawley, as well as the Republican Jewish Coalition, the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, and the pro-Trump Committee to Defend the President.
Individuals donating to Gardner included Jerry Reinsdorf, billionaire owner of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls, and several members of the billionaire McKee family, creators of Little Debbie snacks. Gardner also received donations from three executives at JBS USA, a Greeley-based meatpacking company that has been criticized for its labor practices during the coronavirus pandemic.
The 3rd District
Colorado’s closest federal race, according to polls, is in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Grand Junction, the Western Slope, Pueblo and all the mountain towns in between. Democratic candidate Diane Mitsch Bush raised $2.6 million, and Republican candidate Lauren Boebert — a front-runner due to the district’s decade-long Republican lean — raised $1.9 million last quarter.
At least nine billionaires donated to Mitsch Bush’s campaign, including Walton and Coloradans Pat Stryker and Kenneth Tuchman. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Gov. Jared Polis donated the maximum $2,800, as did both of Polis’ parents. Jackie and Miguel Bezos — parents of the world’s richest person, Jeff Bezos — also wrote $2,800 checks to Mitsch Bush’s campaign.
Mitsch Bush received $129,550 from political action committees, including several unions. A committee for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi chipped in, as did gun control groups Brady and Giffords, plus NARAL, an abortion rights group.
Boebert’s single largest supporter, meanwhile, was Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, whose “20 for 20 Victory Fund” transferred $136,250 to her campaign coffers. She also received donations from some of the U.S. House’s most conservative members, such as Thomas Massie, Andy Biggs and Jim Jordan.
Three members of the Coors family gave a combined $6,100. Colorado billionaire Larry Mizel donated the maximum, $2,800, as did billionaires John and Amy Phelan, and Schlitz beer’s billionaire heir Dick Uihlein. University of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl donated $2,000 to Boebert’s campaign.
