U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet loaned his gubernatorial campaign nearly $1 million in recent weeks as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s support of Bennet’s super PAC surpassed $4.6 million — money being used to fund an avalanche of ads in the final days before the June 30 primary.
Bennet loaned his campaign $950,000 on May 29, money that immediately went toward ads in his race against Attorney General Phil Weiser. The senator’s gubernatorial campaign spent nearly $850,000 during the state’s May 28 and June 10 campaign finance reporting period.
As a loan, Bennet’s campaign can repay the senator with donations received from supporters. However, personal loans candidates make to their campaign often never get repaid.
“Michael’s investment in this campaign reflects his commitment to ensuring Coloradans hear about his positive vision to reject the status quo and deliver results,” Nellie Moran, Bennet’s campaign manager, said in a written statement.
Moran argued the loan was necessary to combat the money Weiser’s campaign is spending on TV and digital ads attacking Bennet.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain Way, the state-level super PAC supporting Bennet’s candidacy, raised about $2.2 million during the reporting period, including $2 million from Bloomberg on May 28. That brings Bloomberg’s donations to Rocky Mountain Way to more than $4.6 million.
The group spent about $2.4 million during the span on TV, radio and digital ads, as well as mailers.
The PAC, which has raised a total of $10.3 million in support of Bennet, still had nearly $3 million in the bank on June 11, cash that it appears to be unloading on more ads to help the senator beat Weiser.
The eye-popping spending in Colorado’s Democratic primary for governor is the latest indication of just how much the race between Bennet and Weiser has tightened. Whichever candidate wins the June 30 primary will likely win the general election in November, too, given Republicans’ nearly decade-long track record of defeat in Colorado.
The Colorado Sun asked Bennet on Saturday, during a debate with Weiser, why he thinks Bloomberg is spending so much to help his campaign.
“I honestly don’t know,” Bennet said. “You would need to ask him. I can’t speculate.”
The Sun reached out to Bloomberg’s representatives weeks ago and never heard back.
Weiser’s campaign raised about $250,000 during the reporting period and spent nearly $1 million, most of it on ads. The attorney general had just short of $500,000 in the bank on June 11.
Fighting for Colorado, the super PAC supporting Weiser, raised just $18,500 during the reporting period and spent about $280,000, most of it on ads. It ended the reporting period with about $825,000 in cash on hand.
The GOP side
The three Republicans running for governor continue to lag far behind in fundraising.
Victor Marx, a former Marine and ministry leader, raised about $170,000 during the reporting period and spent nearly $350,000, most of which went to a consultant for “fundraising expenses.” Marx’s campaign had about $200,000 in the bank on June 11.
Marx’s campaign paid one of his daughters, Brie, $5,000 for consulting during the reporting period, bringing the total she’s earned from the campaign since March to $20,000.
Brie, who has a background in sales, was brought on to professionalize the campaign’s merchandise operations, said Roger Hudson, a spokesman for Marx’s campaign, and helped drive “a meaningful increase in donor engagement through that effort. The results speak for themselves.”
Marx’s campaign also paid his son Shiloh $5,000 in April to do voter roll integrity work after spending the past two years challenging outdated or inaccurate voter registrations in California as part of a group he founded called Integrity First Alliance.
State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer raised about $45,000 during the reporting period and spent about $65,000, leaving her with just shy of $75,000 on June 11. Much of her spending went toward ad production and dissemination.
State Rep. Scott Bottoms raised $16,500 during the span and spent about $13,000, leaving his campaign with less than $14,000 on June 11.
Freedom IEC, the state super PAC supporting Marx, spent $80,000 on June 9 on TV ads.