Spending on Colorado’s 14 statewide ballot measures starts to really ramp up

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Nearly $3 million poured last month into the committee supporting Initiative 310, the November ballot measure that would change most of Colorado’s primaries so candidates from all parties run against each other, followed by a ranked choice voting general election.

Most of that — or about $2.5 million — came from Unite America, a Denver-based organization that advocates for election changes. Kent Thiry, the wealthy former CEO of Denver-based dialysis giant DaVita, sits on the group’s board. He donated $427,250 to Colorado Voters First in August, bringing his total personal infusion to the issue committee to about $1.5 million.

Colorado Voters First spent about $2 million from July 28 through Aug. 28, much of it on advertising and petition signature collection to get Initiative 310 on the November ballot. The committee began September with about $750,000 in the bank.

We also know the committee has reserved about $5 million in TV ad time leading up to Election Day, but that spending hasn’t been reflected yet in its campaign finance reports.

Voter Rights Colorado, a group opposing Initiative 310 that’s backed by a list of progressive organizations, raised $26,000 during the latest reporting period, all of it from Coloradans For Accessible and Secure Elections, a nonprofit created in December that doesn’t disclose its donors.

Some other highlights from state campaign finance reports filed Tuesday, which come as the campaign season kicks into gear:

• Conserve and Protect Our Water, the group supporting Proposition JJ, which would allow the state to keep all of the sports betting tax revenue it collects and send those dollars to water projects, raised $490,000. The Delaware-based Environmental Defense Action Fund accounted for $280,000 of that sum, while the New York-based Conscience Bay Research gave $120,000, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association gave $50,000, and the D.C-based American Rivers Action Fund gave $40,000. The measure doesn’t appear to have any organized opposition. 
• Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, which is supporting the ballot measure that would protect abortion access in the state constitution, received a $1 million in-kind contribution from the Colorado abortion rights group Cobalt Advocates. That was for television advertising. The Pro-Life Colorado Fund, an opposition group, raised less than $15,000. 
• Colorado’s Wildlife Deserve Better, which is battling a measure that would ban the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats and lynx, raised $300,000. The Safari Club International Colorado Chapter accounted for $150,000 of that sum, while Rocky Mountain Elk gave $100,000.
• All Pets Deserve Care, which is backing an initiative that would create a new class of veterinary professionals in Colorado, raised roughly $250,000, almost all of it from the Dumb Friends League. It spent roughly the same amount it raised on signature gathering to get the measure on the ballot. 

REMNANTS OF THE PROPERTY TAX BALLOT BATTLE

Propositions 50 and 108 may be gone after the special legislative session last week, but there was some last-minute spending on the committees supporting and opposing the measures before they were abandoned.

The Alliance for Citizens’ Tax Cut, the group supporting the two property tax-cutting measures, raised about $82,000, $50,000 of which came from Pete Coors, the Republican former CEO of Molson Coors. Greg Stevinson, a Colorado developer, gave $15,000.

The group reported spending $105,000, all of it on signature gathering.

Coloradans for Local Communities, the issue committee opposing 50 and 108, reported raising $125,000, including $75,000 from the Rose Community Foundation and $50,000 from the Colorado Professional Fire Fighters, the state’s firefighter union.

The committee spent a paltry $25,000 on consulting.

• Colorado governor signs special session property tax bill; conservatives remove measures from November ballot

DO THE MATH

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Nonpartisan legislative staff told lawmakers that the 14 measures on the statewide ballot this year led to a 240-page blue book, the longest ever.

The books will start being mailed out Sept. 23. County clerks begin mailing ballots to voters on Oct. 11

BLUE BOOK CHANGES MADE BY THE LEGISLATURE

The 18-member Legislative Council Committee met Wednesday to review the blue book language drafted by nonpartisan legislative staffers. Members of the committee had the opportunity to offer amendments to the language, though the changes needed two-thirds support to pass.

Here are the three amendments that were offered:

• The committee voted unanimously to adopt a slight change to the blue book language for Amendment K, a measure referred to the November ballot by the legislature that would amend the state constitution to alter signature submission deadlines for citizen-initiated initiatives and for when judges have to file declarations that they intend to seek another term. In the arguments against section, the blue book now says the ballot measure would ensure ballots are accurate and that it would affect the signature-gathering process for citizen initiatives. Before, the book arguments section said “extra time for election officials should not make it more difficult for citizens seeking to change state laws.”

• Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, offered an amendment to the blue book language for Initiative 89 that would have made it clear that state employees’ insurance will not cover the cost of abortions even if a pregnancy is caused by rape or incest. It failed 11-7 along party lines. Initiative 89 would protect the right to abortion access in Colorado’s constitution. 
• Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, proposed an amendment to the blue book language for Initiative 138, which would change the state constitution to create a protected right to school choice for K-12 students and their parents. Lundeen’s amendment would have altered the “arguments against” section of the blue book to remove “this could result in redirecting funding from public schools to private and home schools.” The amendment failed on a party-line, 7-11 vote. 
• The committee also rejected a proposed blue book amendment on Initiative 145, a ballot measure to create a new class of veterinary worker in Colorado. The amendment, from Rep. William Lindstedt, a Broomfield Democrat, would have told voters that federal law prohibits such workers — veterinary professional associates — from prescribing medicine. It failed 11-7.

THE POLITICAL TICKER

SCHOOL FINANCE

Four school districts in El Paso County took home 89% of the $21.1 million the state set aside through its mill levy override match program last school year, leaving 18 other districts — all in rural areas — to share just $2.4 million between them, according to a memo released this week by Colorado Legislative Council staff. The match program, created by the legislature in 2022, is supposed to address school funding inequities by incentivizing school districts to ask voters for school tax increases, known as mill levy overrides. Those that do so can qualify for additional state funding.

The disproportionate haul for the four El Paso districts may not last forever. House Bill 1448 this year provided $11 million in new matches to help out other districts, and an interim working group is now studying the program, with a goal of making the formula more equitable. Currently, the memo suggests, places with large tax bases are able to generate large potential state matches, to the detriment of poorer areas that may be in greater need of financial aid.

REPUBLICANS

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, will be in Colorado this weekend raising money for U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, as well as Republican congressional candidates Gabe Evans, Jeff Crank and Jeff Hurd. Evans is a state representative running in the 8th Congressional District, while Hurd is a Grand Junction attorney running in the 3rd Congressional District. Crank is a conservative commentator and activist running in the 5th Congressional District

8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Libertarian candidate Eric Joss formally withdrew Thursday from the 8th Congressional District race. That means he will not be on the November ballot. Earlier in the week, Joss announced he was exiting the race and endorsing Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans in the contest.

8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Fairshake, a political action committee that supports candidates who embrace cryptocurrency, reported Thursday that it has spent $1.9 million on TV ads supporting Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo in the 8th Congressional District. We’ve seen the group purchasing TV ads supporting Caraveo, but the PACs filing with the Federal Election Commission are the first indication of just how much support it is providing. About $2.4 million has been spent on the race so far, according to Rob Pyers, a campaign finance analyst. The 8th District race was second in the country in terms of outside spending as of Thursday, Pyers said.

3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election prognosticator, has moved Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District into the “likely Republican” column from “leans Republican.” Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd, a Republican, is running against Democrat Adam Frisch, a former Aspen city councilman, in the GOP-leaning district currently represented by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.

AURORA

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Windsor, will attend a roundtable listening session today at noon in Aurora with Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky; U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas; and former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan.

ELECTION 2024

Republican Trent Leisy is running in his third race … this year. Leisy, a conservative firebrand, is seeking reelection to the Weld County Council. He previously ran unsuccessfully this year for Congress and for a state House seat.

COLORADO DEMOCRATS

NewDEAL, which fosters a national network of progressive leaders, named Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and state Rep. Lindsey Daugherty of Arvada to its fall 2024 class of rising Democratic stars. The designation, which comes with support and promotion, was first reported by Politico.

READ MORE

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• Colorado restarting $6,000 cash for clunkers program with extra $9 million to boost EV purchases
• How rebates, tax credits cut the cost of solar by $5,000 for one Colorado couple
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• Colorado’s first gentleman calls for “teamwork” in return to social media after controversy
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  — The Denver Post 🔑
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  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Election conspiracy theorist Joe Oltmann fined $1,000 a day until he discloses evidence to court
  — 9News
• Colorado Democrat Yadira Caraveo agrees to two debates, but GOP challenger Gabe Evans wants more
  — Colorado Politics 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

THE NARRATIVE

Eli Bremer is suing Dave Williams as Colorado GOP power struggle enters next chapter

Will the real Colorado GOP chairman please stand up?

Colorado GOP Chairman Eli Bremer has filed a lawsuit against Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams as their power struggle for control of the party continues.

Bremer’s lawsuit, filed last week in El Paso County, claims Williams, Vice Chair Hope Scheppelman and Secretary Anna Ferguson are refusing to recognize an Aug. 24 vote organized by their opponents to remove them from their party leadership positions.

Bremer’s lawsuit asks a judge to declare him the party’s true chairman, Brita Horn as vice chair and Kevin McCarney as party secretary. It also asks that Bremer be “vested with all power, authority, duties, and responsibilities attendant to his position as (Colorado Republican Committee) chairman as determined by the CRC and the CRC bylaws.”

Bremer is being represented in the case by Chris Murray, a former attorney for the Colorado GOP who is supporting the effort to depose Williams.

Meanwhile, Williams’ allies on the Colorado GOP central committee took a vote Saturday to keep him in place as chairman.

Williams has a case before the Colorado Court of Appeals asking for the Aug. 24 meeting and every decision made during it to be invalidated, arguing that the gathering was improperly called.

Both Bremer and Williams are laying claim to the party crown with Election Day —Nov. 5 — now less than two months away. The National Republican Congressional Committee is siding with Bremer. The Republican National Committee has not played a public role as of yet. Bremer said the RNC is letting the situation go through the courts for now.

Team Williams currently controls the party’s bank accounts, which gives them an upper hand. However, Bremer is trying to stop them from spending any more money and take control of the purse strings.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

• Can Democrats stop the “tax doom loop”?
  — The New York Times 🔑
• How Democrats made Project 2025 one of their top anti-GOP attacks
  — The Washington Post 🔑
• Ginni Thomas privately praised group working against Supreme Court ethics reform
  — ProPublica
• How immigration remade the U.S. labor force
  — The Wall Street Journal 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Corrections & Clarifications

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Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.