Colorado Politics’ Ernest Luning reports that U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper hauled in over $1.5 million in Q2 of 2025 and now sits on a $2.7 million war chest for his 2026 reelection bid.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Fundraising Frenzy: Hickenlooper’s haul of $1.5 million in Q2 pushes his campaign total past $4.7 million since 2020—and he raised six figures in literally every Colorado county but eight .
- Small-Dollar Dominance: A whopping 93.5 percent of donations were $100 or less, crystal-ball proof that Hick’s got the grassroots grinding their wallets for him .
- Cash Cushion: With $2.7 million on hand—about $400K more than Michael Bennet had at a comparable point—Hickenlooper can outspend any GOP upstart when the primary heat turns up .
- Lighting ‘Em Up: He’s quick to point fingers at Republicans for the “reckless and wildly unpopular” budget bill, but he’s barely lit a fire under Congress to pass any landmark Colorado-centric legislation .
- What Has He Done? Beyond shaking pom-poms for federal grants, Hick’s legislative résumé is threadbare: an introduced Health Care for Energy Workers Act (stuck in committee), a water-conservation pilot for the Colorado River, and a handful of bipartisan “feel-good” bills that haven’t become law (Congress.gov, LegiScan).
My Bottom Line
Legit question: what has John Hickenlooper actually done for Colorado since 2020? Six and a half years in state government, six years in the Senate, and his proudest boast is a fundraising haul? Sure, he touts the infrastructure bill windfall—EV chargers and pothole patches—but that’s Biden’s $1 trillion plan, not Hick’s handiwork . He’s sponsored bills: pandemic prep, water-pilot projects, energy-worker health care—but none have become law. Meanwhile, Colorado families are paying through the nose for housing, health care, and gridlocked roads.
And let’s be honest: the only real muscle he’s flexed is at campaign events, wagging his finger at Republicans while he quietly pets the DC power players. If $1.5 million in small-dollar donations are the gold standard, his legacy will read like a Kickstarter page: lots of promises, minimal delivery. Coloradans deserve a senator who turns cash into concrete wins—Hick’s time to level up has come and gone.
