Outside groups hoping to influence voters about candidates running for seats in the state House and Senate are draining their bank accounts in the final weeks before the Nov. 5 election.

That’s about $3.5 million between Sept. 28 and Oct. 8, the most recent reporting period. Total spending is now well above $5.3 million, showing that most of those dollars are going to the state’s hottest races.

The expenditures range from as little as $1.09 for a Google ad to six-figure checks written to support Republican Western Slope candidates running for the state Senate.

Independent expenditure committees — groups that engage in electioneering activities — can take unlimited contributions and are prohibited by law from coordinating with the candidates they support.

That, however, did not stop one committee, whose registered agent has been well-known in GOP circles for at least two decades, from making an illegal contribution to a candidate committee.

Founders PAC didn’t make any electioneering spending in 2024, according to reports filed with TRACER, the Secretary of State’s campaign finance database. But it made a $450 contribution to the Republican Matt Burcham campaign in Highlands Ranch. Burcham is running for House District 43 in what’s expected to be the tightest race for the House this year. The contribution was made on Sept. 19 and refunded by the campaign on Sept. 30.

The PAC funders include former state GOP Reps. Kim Ransom, Ted Leonard, and former state GOP Sen. Ted Harvey, who is also its registered agent. Harvey has been a stalwart in state GOP and Douglas County politics for decades and ran for the 4th Congressional District primary seat vacated by former Republican Rep. Ken Buck earlier this year.

When asked about the contribution, Harvey responded, “I was unaware this was illegal.” He said the campaign notified him and that they were returning the contribution.

As for House District 43, IECs have spent almost $200,000 to back Burcham so far. That includes Keep Colorado Counties Safe, which backs Republican candidates in Douglas County and is almost entirely funded by Renewable Water Resources principals.

Renewable Water Resources, or RWR, has been trying to buy water from the San Luis Valley to export to Douglas County. The RWR principals funding the IEC are Sean Tonner, Hugh Bernardi, Bryan Wright, and John Kim.

Burcham’s Democratic opponent, Rep. Bob Marshall, also has outside support, but, at $143,000, it is well below that of Burcham’s. 

On the candidate side, Marshall led Burcham in fundraising by more than $50,000 through Oct. 14 and loaned his campaign an additional $25,000 in the past week.

The most significant spending by Republican independent groups is occurring on the Western Slope in two races that could determine whether Democrats pick up that 24th seat to give them a supermajority in the Senate. Democrats hold a 23-12 lead in the state Senate.

The candidates in Senate District 5, the central Western Slope, are nearly dead even in terms of fundraising. Democratic candidate Cole Buerger of Glenwood Springs has raised just over $124,000, while his Republican opponent, Rep. Marc Catlin of Montrose, has raised just over $121,000.

The difference is in the outside money — support for Buerger from various independent groups totals more than $425,000. For Catlin, it’s approaching $607,000, with most of it coming from the Senate Majority Fund.

The fund has raised more than $6 million in this election cycle, boosted by several million-dollar contributions from its 527 committee, which took $2 million in donations from GOPAC of Arlington, Virginia, a group that does not disclose its funders. The group works to help elect Republicans to state legislative seats.

The other state Senate race on the Western Slope is in Senate District 6, currently held by Sen. Cleave Simpson of Alamosa, who has a two-to-one campaign fundraising lead over his Democratic opponent, Vivian Smotherman of Durango.

The Senate Majority Fund also backs Simpson, and the independent spending in his favor is more than $573,000. Smotherman does not appear to have any outside support.

Another hot race is in Colorado Springs, where Democratic Rep. Marc Snyder of Manitou Springs hopes to jump to the Senate seat held by term-limited Republican Sen. Bob Gardner. Snyder has raised over $166,000 to just under $83,000 raised by Republican Stan Vanderwerf.

Senate District 12 is the first race this year to show $1 million in outside support for one candidate, and that’s Snyder, where the independent spending is now at about $993,000. Support for Vanderwerf clocks in just under $24,000.

Snyder is expected to take that seat, but the Republicans have one to gain, too, in Senate District 13.

That’s the seat held by term-limited Democratic Sen. Kevin Priola of Henderson, a Republican until two years ago. According to the redistricting commission, the seat favors Republicans by 3.7%.

Republican Scott Bright holds a big lead in campaign fundraising over his Democratic opponent, Matt Johnston. Bright has raised $113,000, plus he loaned his campaign another $50,000. Johnston has raised just over $97,000.

Independent spending in favor of Bright totals over $175,000, while the Democratic independent committees have yet to weigh in for Johnston.

In the foothills of Jefferson County, the battle is between Rep. Tammy Story, D-Evergreen, and Republican George Mumma of Littleton. Story has raised twice as much as Mumma this election cycle.

The outside groups backing Mumma have put more than $203,000 into the effort, while those backing Story have spent just under $175,000.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Mary Young, who represents Greeley’s House District 50, has raised more than $100,000 for her fourth and final term, while Republican challenger Ryan Gonzalez has raised just under $35,000.

Outside support narrowly favors Young, with more than $142,000 spent to back her re-election bid. Spending in favor of Gonzalez totals about $122,000.

Nearby, House District 19 in Weld and part of Boulder counties is a contest between former state Rep. Dan Woog, R-Erie, and Democratic challenger Jillaire McMillan, who a vacancy committee picked to run in the general election when Rep. Jennifer Parenti chose not to run for a second term.

The outside groups are backing Woog with about $150,000 but have yet to spend on McMillan. Woog has raised $95,000, compared to McMillan’s $43,000.

Finally, the Colorado Springs race between Democratic Rep. Stephanie Vigil and Republican challenger Rebecca Keltie is also expected to be close. Vigil has raised $117,000 to Keltie’s $78,000.

The outside spending favors Keltie, with more than $160,000 spent by groups to back Vigil and nearly $210,000 spent in favor of Keltie.

The big spenders of 2024

The GOP’s Senate Majority Fund has raised $1.5 million, with the largest contributions from its related 527 committees and Colorado Dawn, a dark-money group controlled by Steve Durham and Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen of Monument, according to the Colorado Sun.

In addition to GOPAC, the 527’s most significant contributions to this election cycle have come from Chevron and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.

The oil and gas group also contributed $530,000 to Coloradans For Accountable Government, spending money favoring Keltie, Mumma, Gonzalez, Burcham, and Woog in the House races.

The New Day Colorado Fund also favors House Republican candidates, with its largest funders coming from its 527 committee. The largest contributors included Phillips 66, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (aka PHRMA), Colorado’s beer distributors and Anheuser Busch.

On the Democratic side, Sixteen Thirty Fund, which has contributed more than $22 million to Democratic-aligned causes and candidates, has given $600,000 this year to four IEC, including All Together Colorado, Centennial Horizon, Colorado Way Forward and Coloradans Creating Opportunities. All are backing Democrats for the state House and Senate. Centennial Horizon has spent nearly $30,000 for just one candidate: House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon.

Sixteen Thirty Fund does not disclose its funders. 

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which is tied to Colorado WINS, the state employee union, has contributed $500,000 to the Colorado Working Families IEC, All Together Colorado, and Colorado Way Forward.

The Colorado Association of Realtors also contributed $370,000 to Prosperity Through Property Rights, which supports both Democratic and Republican candidates.