Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s support for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s gubernatorial campaign reached $2.5 million last month, which is more than any Republican has raised in the race.
Bloomberg gave $1.25 million to Rocky Mountain Way, the state-level super PAC supporting the Democrat, between Jan. 1 and April 29, which was Colorado’s last campaign finance reporting period. That’s in addition to the $1.25 million the billionaire gave to the group last year.
The Colorado Sun reached out to Bloomberg’s philanthropic arm for comment Tuesday but didn’t immediately hear back. State-level super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money but are prohibited from coordinating with candidates or their campaigns.
Bloomberg’s $1.25 million donation made up more than half of the $2.5 million Rocky Mountain Way raised during the reporting period. The group spent nearly $1.2 million during the stretch, most of it on ads, and had $4.6 million in the bank at the end of the reporting period.
Other major donors to Rocky Mountain Way during the reporting period included:
- Brighter Future for Colorado, which gave $500,000. The nonprofit, which doesn’t disclose its donors, has given the PAC just short of $1 million total.
- The Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, which gave $75,000
- Uber, which gave $25,000
- Norm Brownstein, who gave $15,000 and is the namesake founder of the powerful Denver-based law and lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Bloomberg has long been involved in Colorado politics, but his support of Rocky Mountain Way marks his biggest cash infusion into a state campaign since the 2022 election cycle, when he gave $3 million to two different state political action committees. In 2024, he gave $750,000 to the committee supporting a ballot measure enshrining abortion access in the state constitution.
Bloomberg also spent about $5 million supporting a ballot measure maintaining Denver’s ban on flavored tobacco products in 2025, which set a city record.
Rocky Mountain Way is running a TV ad that paints Bennet as a hard-charging opponent of the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress.
“We need a governor who fights back,” the ad’s narrator says, touting Bennet’s battles against GOP bills to sell off public lands, pushback against federal immigration enforcement, and his much publicized confrontation with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a Senate committee hearing. “Doing what needs to be done: Michael Bennet for governor.”
The state-level super PAC supporting Bennet’s Democratic primary opponent, Attorney General Phil Weiser, is raising and spending much less money. It took in $477,000 during the reporting period, spent $43,000 and had about $960,000 in the bank at the end of the stretch.
Fighting For Colorado’s major donors during the reporting period included investor Jim Kelley, attorney Martha Samuelson and venture capitalist Jason Mendelson.
Weiser’s campaign, however, is raising and spending much more than Bennet’s campaign.
The attorney general raised $1.35 million during the reporting period, spent $2.1 million — most of it on ads — and had $2.7 million in campaign cash at the end of the stretch.
Weiser’s first TV ad is effectively a reintroduction to Colorado voters. In the 30-second spot, the attorney general touts his legal fights against landlords, Big Tech and President Donald Trump.
Bennet’s campaign raised just shy of $1 million during the reporting period, while spending $1.4 million, including about $300,000 on signature gathering to make the ballot. (Weiser made the ballot through the caucus and assembly process instead.) Bennet’s campaign ended the month with $1.16 million in cash on hand.
In the three-way Republican gubernatorial primary, the candidates are raising and spending a fraction of their Democratic counterparts.
In the lead is pastor and Marine veteran Victor Marx, who raised $1.66 million during the reporting period, spent about $1.5 million and $531,000 in campaign cash at the end of the stretch.
State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer of Brighton had $92,000 in the bank at the end of the reporting period after raising $127,000 and spending about $317,000. State Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs had $8,100 in campaign cash after raising and spending about $70,000 each during the reporting period.
The next campaign finance reporting period ends May 13. Campaigns and committees must file their reports by May 18.
The primary will be held June 30, with ballots starting to be mailed out June 8.