Republican donors keep wallets shut as Dems dominate money race
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Colorado Republicans are getting trumped in the money race — and their donors won't save the day.
Stunning stat: Republicans running for Colorado's four statewide offices have raised just $5 million, compared with $12.8 million for Democrats, an exclusive Axios analysis finds.
Why it matters: The GOP's cash crunch is limiting candidates' ability to buy TV ads, tour the state and get out the vote — all but handing the election to the Democratic Party.
State of play: For the first time since Democrats swept statewide offices in 2018, all four seats — governor, attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer — are open.
- That means what could have been an opportunity for the Republican Party to regain relevance has instead become an uphill battle.
Yes, but: Colorado's conservative donors appear skeptical Republicans can win — so they're largely keeping their wallets shut.
What they're saying: "People are pragmatic about their dollars," Republican attorney general candidate Michael Allen told Axios at a coffee shop in Monument.
- "Tight economy, unpopular president, lots of national issues that are making people disenchanted with the political world," Allen, the current district attorney for El Paso County, said.
- Donors "are going to look at: Do we have a strong prospect of winning or not? And they've made those calculations."
By the numbers: The latest campaign finance numbers prove the point.
Democratic candidate for governor Phil Weiser has raised $9.1 million — more than twice Republican contender Victor Marx's haul, and more than all four Republican candidates for statewide office combined.
- Jena Griswold, the Democratic candidate for attorney general and Amanda Gonzalez, the Democratic contender for secretary of state, each outraised their opponents by more than 5-to-1.
The fine print: These fundraising totals don't include third-party PAC spending.
What we're watching: Democrats also enter the home stretch with nearly four times as much cash on hand: $1 million compared with Republicans' $258,000.