Denver may revamp its public financing laws
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Major changes could be on the horizon for Denver's taxpayer-funded campaign finance system.
Why it matters: A retool of the Fair Elections Fund could impact who runs for office and how millions in public money will be used by future mayoral, city council, city auditor and clerk and recorder candidates.
Context: Denver City Council's proposed changes to the program include:
- Banning anonymous donations;
- Listing ways donations can't be spent, including on alcohol or marijuana;
- Simplifying and clarifying the election code to make it easier for potential candidates to understand how they can run for office.
The changes also call for clarifying rules about mandatory debates to ensure fairness, and strengthening and clarifying the investigatory duties for staff responsible for overseeing campaign finance complaints.
Driving the news: Denver City Councilmembers Amanda Sawyer and Darrell Watson introduced the bill with the proposed tweaks during a committee meeting Tuesday.
- Sawyer said the changes would "strengthen" the city's campaign finance program.
Context: The Fair Elections Fund, which provides qualifying candidates with a 9-to-1 public match for donations of up to $50, was crafted to level the playing field for people seeking municipal office.
- The program provided $7.7 million during the 2023 election cycle, according to a report from the Clerk and Recorder's office, which oversees the fund. Not all candidates used it during that cycle.
Between the lines: Denver City Clerk and Recorder Paul López supports the bill, per a letter sent to the city council.
The intrigue: While a candidate survey in last year's clerks and recorder report suggested the program influenced their decision to run for office, at least $1.7 million was given to people who had no chance of winning their respective races, an Axios Denver analysis found.
What's next: The full Denver City Council is scheduled to host a required public hearing on the proposal on Feb. 18.