Big-moneyed interests dominate ballot fight in Denver's 2021 election
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The special interests behind 13 questions on Denver's November ballot collectively raised more than $2 million through September, according to an Axios Denver analysis of new finance reports.More than half the total went to two campaigns — one supporting Mayor Michael Hancock's $450 million bond package and another to fund pandemic research through a sales tax increase on marijuana backed by a dark-money group.
Why it matters: The lengthy municipal ballot and the controversial questions voters must decide on are driving the money race and creating one of the most active off-year elections in recent memory, officials said.
- The reports, filed Tuesday, also show the big-dollar interests that are seeking to influence voters.
By the numbers: The $2.1 million pumped into the election is buoyed by the two largest contributors, neither of which list all donors.
- Defend Colorado, a business-backed organization, put $325,000 into three committees backing different initiatives, including one designed to crack down on homeless camps. It also independently spent $215,000 on digital advertising.
- The national advocacy group Guarding Against Pandemics, which only discloses crypto-currency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried as a donor, spent $200,000 on Ordinance 300 to increase the marijuana sales tax an additional 1.5% to raise money for pandemic research at the University of Colorado Denver.
The intrigue: Rise Denver, the committee backing the mayor's five bond measures, and its partner, Friends of the National Western Stock Show, raised the most in September.
- Rise Denver's top donors included the Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Denver Botanic Gardens, all of which gave $25,000 a pop.
- The stock show committee took $50,000 each from Molson Coors board chairman Pete Coors and oil and gas executive Barth Whitham; $25,000 from former University of Colorado system president Bruce Benson; and $10,000 from lobbying and law firm Brownstein Hyatt.
What's next: The reports show a total of $1.3 million remains available for a campaign blitz in the final month before the election. And more money will come as committees get more organized.
For example, the battle on Initiative 304 — a conservative-backed measure that would lower Denver's sales tax from 4.81% to 4.5% — is just starting.
- Bill Ray, who is managing the opposition team, expects thousands more to flow into the race. "We're looking forward to having a robust campaign," he said.
Of note: The latest finance reports are the final look inside the campaigns before the election.
- The committees will only need to disclose donations of $500 or more in the final six days before the Nov. 2 election.