#COpolitics campaign cash: June 4 edition

Three weeks to go until the June 26 primary, and that crowded race for governor is getting serious.

We’ve rounded up who’s slinging the poo over at Colorado Independent.

Now let’s take a look at where the money is coming from and where it’s going. (And grouse about some candidates’ filing habits, or lack thereof.)

Governor

Democrat Cary Kennedy wins the two weeks with more than $121,000 in contributions from people other than herself. She’s been spending heavily on TV, though, and has only $95,000 in cash on hand.

U.S. Congressman Jared Polis hits the $10.5 million mark when it comes to his own money in his campaign. That tops the $7.4 million that term-limited Gov. John Hickenlooper and Republican opponent Bob Beauprez spent in 2014’s gubernatorial contest.

Polis still has nearly $2 million in his campaign account after spending nearly $9 million, with a major TV onslaught scheduled the next three weeks. And more millions where that first ten came from.

GOP Treasurer Walker Stapleton’s major contributor reports show he put more than $200,000 of his own cash into his campaign in the past week. But only $100,000 came on May 30 or before, along with $48,000 from other people. With the other $100K, it brings his total self-funding to nearly $475,000. He has more than $271,000 in cash. How much more of his own cash is he willing to put up?

Republican businessman Victor Mitchell loaned his campaign another $600,000, bringing his total personal cash to $3.9 million, still short of Polis. He has more than $126,000 in his campaign account, and probably more in his bank account.

Former Democratic state Sen. Michael Johnston raised nearly $44,000, spent nearly $50,000 and has nearly $795,000 in the bank, though his TV ad bill likely will be coming due.

Republican businessman Doug Robinson brought in less than $20,000, and has $85,000 in the bank.

Democratic Lt. Gov Donna Lynne raised nearly $16,000 and spent only about $9,000. She has $245,000 in cash, enough for some decent mailings and maybe some TV ads.

Former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez, a Republican, raised about $7,400, and spent about $8,600. On yard signs. This filing covers campaign contributions from April 17 through May 30, with the past two filings kind of a confusing mess. Lopez has loaned his campaign $24,000.

Attorney general

Democrat Phil Weiser raised $33,000 and spent more than $371,000 on a significant TV ad buy. He has about $123,000 remaining in the bank.

His primary opponent, state Rep. Joe Salazar raised $14,000 and has $23,000 in the bank, which won’t go far.

George Brauchler, the GOP nominee, raised more than $16,000 and has more than $213,000 in cash.

Treasurer

After going back to review past filings, it seems the GOP candidates for treasurer don’t always get things right the first time.

State Rep. Justin Everett has amended five of his six filings, two of them (including Monday’s) twice. State Rep. Polly Lawrence has amended three of her four filings, one of them three times. And businessman Brian Watson has amended three of his four reports, including Monday’s.

The two Democratic candidates, Rep. Dave Young and Bernie Douthit, haven’t amended any of their filings.

Lawrence raised $73,000 through May 30, all but $10,000 from her own pocket. She’s put nearly $176,000 of her own money into her campaign. She has about $34,000 in cash.

Watson is the biggest spending in the race, at more than $440,000 total. But $180,000 of that is his own cash. Of the $56,000 he reported raising in cash or in kind the last two weeks, more than $50,000 came from Watson.

Everett raised more than $9,000, but $7,500 came from his pocket.

Young raised $8,000 and has nearly $31,000 in the bank.

Douthit raised only $888 over two weeks, with less than $19,000 in cash remaining.

Secretary of state

Democratic challenger Jena Griswold again outraised incumbent GOP SOS Wayne Williams. She took in nearly $23,000 to his $11,000. And she has twice as much in the bank, nearly $236,000 to his nearly $107,000.

Committees, aka super PACS

The National Education Association Advocacy Fund pumped $600,000 into Teachers for Kennedy, which spent nearly $1.4 million, mostly on ads. The group had about $517,000 left in cash.

Bold Colorado, the super PAC supporting U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, received $175,000 from the federal Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. The group paid nearly $69,000 to The Majority Institute for polling.

Better Colorado Now, the primary super PAC supporting GOP treasurer Stapleton, received one $50,000 contribution from Denver financier J. Landis Martin. Meanwhile, the group gave $150,000 to Real Colorado Conservatives, which is sending negative mailers about businessman Victor Mitchell. That’s the only money Real Colorado Conservatives raised.

Better Colorado Now reports nearly $280,000 in the bank as of May 30, enough to go either positive or negative. Let’s note that the group raised $686,000 of its $991,000 before Stapleton formally entered the governor’s contest.

Frontier Fairness, supporting Democrat Michael Johnston, took in $321,000, including $50,000 each from Elana Amsterdam, a Boulder writer, and Eric Roza, of software firm Oracle. The group ended May 30 with $1.9 million in the bank, so expect those TV ads and mailers to keep coming.

The Colorado Working Families Party super PAC took in $106,505, $100,000 of it from the Service Employees International Union. Thus far the group is supporting state Rep. Joe Salazar in the Democratic attorney general primary and Julie Gonzalez in Denver Senate District 24.

Here’s a table of fundraising by gubernatorial and other statewide candidates: