The Sentinel, publishing Chase Woodruff’s Colorado Newsline report, says Colorado’s Democratic primary for governor has turned into a $20 million political blockbuster, powered by candidate fundraising and super PAC spending. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet entered June with more than $4.6 million in direct campaign donations, while Attorney General Phil Weiser had raised more than $6.4 million and held more cash on hand.
But the real perfume in this barn is outside money. Bennet is backed by Rocky Mountain Way, a super PAC that had amassed $8 million, while the pro-Weiser super PAC Fighting for Colorado raised about $1.3 million. The article notes that super PACs can raise and spend unlimited sums as long as they do not coordinate directly with candidates. Legal? Yes. Gross? Also yes.
So here we are: the ruling Democratic machine is having a $20 million knife fight to decide who gets to inherit the governor’s mansion and keep managing Colorado’s decline with a smiley-face lapel pin. Normal Coloradans are getting crushed by housing, insurance, groceries, taxes, fees, crime, homelessness, and regulatory lunacy. Meanwhile, the crowd responsible for the model has donor cash and super PAC sludge flying around like this is a Marvel movie for consultants.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Bennet and Weiser are not exactly running a bake sale primary. The Sentinel reports combined Democratic financial firepower running into the tens of millions, with campaigns and outside groups poised to blanket airwaves and online platforms. Democracy, now with carpet bombing.
- Weiser raised more in direct campaign money, with over $6.4 million, compared with Bennet’s more than $4.6 million. But Bennet’s side has Rocky Mountain Way, a pro-Bennet super PAC with $8 million in the tank. Funny how “grassroots energy” keeps arriving by wire transfer.
- Nearly a third of Rocky Mountain Way’s funding came from billionaire former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who contributed $2.6 million. Nothing says Colorado values like a billionaire from New York helping decide who runs the Centennial State.
- Brighter Future for Colorado, a dark-money nonprofit that does not disclose its donors, gave just over $1 million to the pro-Bennet PAC. Dark money in a Democratic primary? I’m sure the democracy sermons will resume once the check clears.
- The article also names lobbyists, big donors, venture capitalists, trial lawyers, charter school interests, and other familiar players swimming around this race. Colorado politics has become an industry, and the consultants are not exactly standing in the unemployment line.
My Bottom Line
Ordinary Coloradans should look at this and think, “Oh good, the same crowd that made life unaffordable now has $20 million to explain why they deserve a promotion.” That is the emotional center here. Not campaign finance trivia. Not nerd charts. Not breathless horse-race chatter. Disgust.
Democrats constantly preach about democracy, equity, grassroots power, and getting money out of politics. Then, right on schedule, they roll out a $20 million primary brawl where outside groups and donor networks try to buy the microphone before voters even finish opening the mailbox. This is donor politics dressed up as democracy, with consultants collecting checks to market ambition as public service.
I am not claiming anything illegal. The system is built to allow plenty of this. That is the problem. It is legal-but-gross, a polished influence laundromat where everyone pretends the checks do not matter until the ads start carpet-bombing voters and magically saying exactly what the candidate needs said.
Colorado’s Democratic primary is less a contest of ideas than a consultant stimulus package with yard signs. They broke the state with “bold leadership,” now they are spending obscene money to decide which ambitious member of the same club gets to keep driving the bus into the guardrail.
Source: The Sentinel
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