If you were hoping for any letup in the campaign ads flooding your screens, mailboxes and phones ahead of the November election, you’re out of luck.
With ballots going out now and less than four weeks until Election Day, campaign money bombs are hitting some key Colorado congressional races.
The winners of those contests could determine which party controls Congress next year.
8th Congressional District
The most expensive race is to represent the 8th Congressional District, currently held by Republican Gabe Evans. His Democratic challenger is former state Rep. Manny Rutinel.
Located in the northern Denver suburbs and spreading up into Greeley in Weld County, Evans flipped the seat in 2024 by 2,449 votes, winning by less than 1 percentage point. Both campaigns, parties and outside groups have spent heavily this cycle to influence who wins.
So far, there’s been around $11 million in outside spending since the June 30 primary, with Republican-leaning groups spending $2 million more than Democrats.
Evans has gotten a boost from the Trump-backed Super PAC, No Going Back, to the tune of almost $1.3 million, with more spending expected.
While Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action), the super PAC associated with the Koch brothers, has spent more than $650,000 to support Evans and oppose Rutinel, conservative tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s super PAC, America PAC, has spent just over $215,000 in the race.
Rutinel’s outside support has come from super PACs such as the LCC Victory, the League for Conservation Voters’s super PAC, and Mainstream Colorado Fund, a dark money super PAC, which has spent more than $575,000 so far.
5th Congressional District
Surprisingly, money is also pouring into Colorado’s 5th Congressional District race, which centers around conservative stronghold El Paso County.
This cycle more than $3 million has been spent in the race between Republican incumbent Jeff Crank and Democratic challenger Jessica Killin.
The usually reliably red seat is giving Democrats some hope. Aside from trending blue in the last three presidential races, Democrats believe they have a strong candidate this cycle..
“[Killin] absolutely has put that seat on the map,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Two years ago there was just over $300,000 in outside spending in the race. This cycle so far, Trump’s No Going Back super PAC has pumped more than $1.9 million to support Crank and oppose Killin, while AFP Action has put in more than $470,000 to help Crank keep the seat.
Meanwhile, outside groups coming in to support Killin and oppose Crank include Women Vote, Emily’s List’s independent expenditure arm, which has invested six-figures to help and flip the seat. AB PAC, affiliated with the Democratic supporting group American Bridge 21st Century, has spent more than $266,000 in the race.
3rd Congressional District
In a sign that the Democrats also think the 3rd Congressional District could also flip, the DCCC put Democratic candidate Dwayne Romero into its Red to Blue program, which means the campaign will get campaign support and some fundraising help.
But compared to past years, there’s been a paucity of outside spending — just under a million dollars.
Like Evans and Crank, Republican candidate Rep. Jeff Hurd in the 3rd Congressional District has gotten help from Trump’s super PAC totaling more than $624,000. The American Conservation Coalition PAC, affiliated with a conservative conservation group, has also put more than $105,000 into the race.
Thus far, Republicans and their aligned groups have spent a million dollars more than Democrats and their aligned groups in the race.
4th Congressional District
So far, the only Republican not to get backing from Trump’s group is Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in the 4th Congressional District, which is considered the state’s safest Republican seat.
Still, Boebert has been vastly outraised by Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher, who has been spending money getting ads on screens across the district.
There has been some outside spending for Boebert coming from the House Freedom Caucus’s PAC, which has put in more than $300,000 to help get her on the air. Meanwhile, Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, a renewable energy super PAC, announced a $15 million campaign against seven candidates, including Boebert, over their opposition to clean energy incentives.
U.S. Senate
The race that really encapsulates Colorado’s blue shift is the race for Senate.
There’s not a lot of outside money coming into the race at all. Hickenlooper announced his first TV and digital ad of the general race, what’s expected to be part of a seven-figure ad buy. According to ad tracking sites, TV and digital ad spending is just under $80,000 in the race for October, both for Hickenlooper and third-party candidate Bob Chew.
That’s compared to when Hickenlooper first ran for Senate in 2020 when there was more than $60 million in outside spending. Hickenlooper spent more than $40 million from his campaign warchest to flip the seat, while his opponent, GOP Sen. Cory Gardner, spent more than $25 million.
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