DEMS OUTRAISE GOP IN 3 FIERCE RACES

Donors to candidates in federal elections range from Soros to private prison firm

Democrats raised more money in the final months of 2019 than Republicans in the competitive 3rd U.S. House District, the 6th U.S. House District and the U.S. Senate contests.

In each of Colorado’s competitive federal elections — for U.S. Senate, the 3rd Congressional District and 6th Congressional District — Democrats raised more money than Republicans heading into 2020.

In the state’s closely watched Senate race, Democrat John Hickenlooper raised nearly $2.8 million between October and New Year’s Eve, leaving him with $3.2 million on hand to begin 2020. The former governor’s campaign coffers were padded with large donations from prominent and wealthy individuals, especially from the world of finance. George Soros and his relatives donated $14,000 to Hickenlooper’s campaign.

Though a critic of corporate PACs, Hickenlooper did accept money last quarter from noncorporate PACs, including ones for the real estate industry, plaintiff’s lawyers and the Environmental Defense Fund. PACs tied to several Democratic senators also donated to Hickenlooper’s campaign.

Companies whose employees gave large amounts to Hickenlooper include Liberty Media, where the candidate’s wife works, and the powerful lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where his former chief of staff works.

Other noteworthy donations to Hickenlooper’s campaign include $2,800 from former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, $2,800 from former Disney head Michael Eisner, $5,500 from congressional candidate James Iacino and $2,800 from Soledad Hurst, the wife of a former Goldman Sachs executive who hosted an Aspen fundraiser for Hickenlooper.

“As we head into the election year, these resources will help us to travel across the state and get out our message of bringing change to Washington and bringing people together to actually get things done on the issues that Coloradans care about,” Hickenlooper said in a statement.

Sen. Cory Gardner, the Yuma Republican that Hickenlooper and nine other Democrats are hoping to face in November, raised about $2 million last quarter and had $7.8 million on hand Jan. 1. Of the $2 million raised, about $260,000 came from PACs and roughly $335,000 was transferred from other committees.

More than two dozen executives and employees at the private prison company GEO Group donated a total of $44,150 to Gardner in November, with nearly all the donations coming on a single day. GEO Group’s PAC also donated $15,000 to Gardner Victory, a joint fundraising committee, in No

vember.

The company, which operates a controversial immigration detention facility in Aurora and about a dozen other Colorado facilities, did not respond to questions about why it supports the senator.

Seven employees of Blackstone Group, a Wall Street firm, made maximum donations to Gardner last quarter.

The company was founded by Stephen Schwarzman, an associate of President Donald Trump and prominent Republican donor who has previously given to Gardner’s campaign. A company spokesman declined to comment on the donations of its employees.

Gardner continues to receive a large number of donations from PACs, including those for energy companies — Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Haliburton, Arch Coal — and pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer and Merck. The Committee to Defend the President, a former anti-Hillary Clinton PAC that became a pro-Trump PAC, gave $1,000.

Billionaire businessman and former New York City mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis donated $2,800 to Gardner last quarter, as did Don Tapia, the U.S. ambassador to Jamaica.

“Senator Gardner’s historic 2019 fundraising puts us in an incredible position at the beginning of 2020,” said Casey Contres, Gardner’s campaign manager. “His large cash on hand advantage over all of his farleft, Democrat opponents will allow our campaign to get our message out about all Cory has done for this state, while also warning Coloradans about how his opponents’ policies will hurt hardworking families.”

Ten Democrats are competing in the Senate primary.

Andrew Romanoff raised $313,218, leaving him with $686,244 on hand to begin 2020.

Stephany Rose Spaulding raised $29,518, Lorena Garcia brought in $28,143, Michelle Ferrigno Warren raised $23,891, Trish Zornio received $21,486, Diana Bray brought in $6,069 and Christopher Milton raised $5,769. David Goldfischer and Erik Underwood have not yet filed fundraising reports.

3rd District

Colorado’s largest congressional district, spanning the Western Slope and southern Colorado, as well as much of the mountains, is represented by Republican Rep. Scott Tipton of Cortez and has been a Democratic target for several years.

Tipton is opposed this year by a Republican primary challenger and a trio of Democrats: businessman James Iacino, former state Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush and veteran Root Routledge.

Iacino raised $294,824 in the final three months of 2019, more than Tipton or Iacino’s fellow Democrats. The donations were overwhelmingly large and from executives in Colorado’s business community. He also contributed more than $19,000 of his own money.

Iacino had $165,717 to begin 2020.

“We’ve proven that we are the first campaign that has the chops to send (Tipton) packing,” Iacino’s campaign boasted in a fundraising email.

Bush, who lost to Tipton in 2018, raised $138,143 last quarter. Her campaign is largely driven by small donations from within Colorado. Routledge raised $820.

Tipton raised $181,843, nearly half of which came from political action committees. PACs for Raytheon, Chevron, Xcel, Marathon Petroleum, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Conoco Phillips, Miller Coors, Koch Industries, Halliburton and other corporations donated.

Tipton’s campaign had $529,668 on hand to begin 2020.

Meanwhile, Lauren Boebert, a Republican challenger to Tipton, raised $19,250 between Nov. 20, when she entered the race, and Dec. 31.

6th District

Denver’s eastern suburbs are represented by Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Aurora, but Republicans hope to change that this year.

Several Republicans are running, led by Steve House; all were outraised by Crow last quarter.

Crow brought in $429,115 and had $1,397,878 on hand to begin the election year.

About one-fourth of Crow’s money last quarter, $108,095, came from noncorporate PACs.

Attorney Frank Azar donated $5,600 and Jennifer Allan Soros, a daughter-inlaw of billionaire George Soros, gave $2,800.

Jaimie Kulikowski, a Democrat challenging Crow, raised $9,608 last quarter.

House raised $213,019 and loaned his campaign an additional $85,000.

Among his donors were University of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl, U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn’s campaign and George Mentz, a lawyer and author.

Casper Stockham, another Republican in the race, raised $13,995.