Lauren Boebert's Democratic foe boasts major fundraising haul
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Democrat Trish Calvarese is facing one of her party's most prominent targets: controversial Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert.
State of play: It turns out a marquee foe makes it easy to raise money for the opposing campaign.
Calvarese has collected more than $2.3 million in campaign cash in 110,000 donations since the June 25 primary when Boebert became her opponent, Axios Denver has learned.
- A viral video — in which Calvarese mocks Boebert for her crude behavior at the "Beetlejuice" musical in September 2023 — and national media appearances helped drive the fundraising.
What she's saying: "We are so thrilled and we have a ton of momentum," Calvarese told us in a recent interview.
Yes, but: She'll need a truckload more to compete in Colorado's most Republican district against Boebert, who is a prolific fundraiser.
By the numbers: Boebert spent $4.2 million to win the GOP primary in June but still entered the general election with $530,000 in the bank July 1, according to the latest federal campaign finance reports.
- Her campaign expects to raise much more. For example, she pulled in $3.9 million in the first six months of the year.
The other side: For comparison, Calvarese raised $517,000 through July 15 and spent $301,000 to win the Democratic primary.
- She entered the general election contest with a meager $160,000 in the bank and $27,000 in debts.
The bottom line: The campaign cash is key because it will enable Calvarese to run TV ads that get her more name recognition and allow her to make the case against her opponent.
- "We're going to keep the pedal to the medal in fundraising," she said.