Political Pulse: Polis gets inauguration help from Trump fundraiser
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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.
