Political Pulse: Polis gets inauguration help from Trump fundraiser
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Gov. Jared Polis' onstage during his inaugural ball in 2019. Photo: Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Gov. Jared Polis is raising millions for his second inauguration ball, again with help from former President Trump's campaign finance chair.
Why it matters: The Democratic governor's affiliation with Larry Mizel, a Denver homebuilder who raised money for the first inaugural ball, goes beyond bipartisanship and is a bigger headline now that national Democrats are looking to Polis as a presidential contender.
- Since the 2019 inauguration, and in the shadow of the Jan. 6 attack, Trump has become more toxic and prominent allies have defected.
Details: Mizel is one of five co-chairs of the governor's inaugural committee, which must raise more than $1 million to cover the Jan. 10 event's cost. The others are prominent Democratic donors Blanca O’Leary, Joe Zimlich and Richard Sapkin, and Polis' outgoing chief of staff Lisa Kaufmann.
- Mizel declined to comment through a spokesperson.
The intrigue: Four years ago, Polis raised big bucks from major corporations and special interests despite refusing to accept similar donations during his campaign.
- He's backtracking again, but it's unclear if the organization hosting the ball, Colorado for All 2023, will disclose its donors this time. A spokesperson did not return a message seeking comment.
💰 It's no surprise, but Polis emerged as the top donor in the 2022 campaign. He spent $12.6 million from his own pocket to fund his re-election campaign, the Colorado Sun reports.
Of note: It's about half what he spent from his own fortune in 2018. In that campaign, he faced a competitive Democratic primary and tougher general election opponent, though.
💸 The most expensive congressional race this year in Colorado was the 3rd District, where U.S. Rep. Laurent Boebert narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Adam Frisch.
By the numbers: Boebert spent $43 per vote she received, while Frisch spent $32.
For the record: Boebert won by 546 votes, according to the official tally released this week.
👎 U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is not optimistic about getting his No. 1 legislative priority, the child tax credit expansion, through the lame-duck congressional term. "It's fair to say that it's not part of the agreement today," Bennet told a reporter from the New Republic on Wednesday.
📌 Bennet recently named a new chief of staff. Neil Kornze is a former director of the Bureau of Land Management and a public lands advocate.
- Kornze's family moved to Denver in the late 1800s and his father is a prominent former mining executive.
🎤 Political Pulse is a regular feature to help you catch up quick on Colorado politics.