5 takeaways from Colorado campaign fundraising reports
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Two months before the June primary election, the Colorado governor's race has topped $20 million.
Why it matters: The big money attests to the high stakes in the 2026 contest, where the candidates with the most cash hold a strategic advantage.
State of play: The latest campaign finance reports filed Monday reveal the governor's race is the priciest contest on the ballot, but others are quickly turning into high-dollar battles.
Here are five takeaways from our analysis of the reports:
1. The six candidates in the governor's race — two Democrats and four Republicans —raised a combined $20.3 million through April.
- Current Attorney General Phil Weiser holds a significant fundraising advantage, with nearly $6 million in total receipts and $2.7 million cash on hand.
- His Democratic rival, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, has collected $4.4 million and shows $1.1 million left in his campaign account.
2. A super PAC supporting Bennet is looking to close the financial gap. Rocky Mountain Way topped $6 million in contributions through April 30 and has $4.6 million in the bank. The money is fueling TV ads that paint Bennet as a fighter against the Trump administration.
- Fighting for Colorado, the super PAC backing Weiser, has raised $1 million with most of it unspent.
3. The single largest donor in the governor's race is former New York mayor and presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg. He gave $1.25 million to Bennet's PAC, putting his total investment at $2.5 million so far.
- Other large donors to Rocky Mountain Way include $500,000 from Brighter Futures, a dark-money organization, $75,000 from the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and $25,000 from Uber.
4. In the Republican governor's race, Marine veteran and first-time candidate Victor Marx raised $1.5 million through April, bringing his total to $2.3 million. He's already spent most of that and finished the fundraising period with $531,000 cash on hand.
- State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer brought in $317,000 in the latest reporting period and has $93,000 in the bank.
5. In the four-way Democratic attorney general's race, current Secretary of State Jena Griswold raised $1.8 million so far, about a million more than her closest rivals. She has $1 million left in the bank — more than her three rivals combined.
- A super PAC supporting Griswold, the Colorado First Fund, also has $275,000 in cash on hand.