Money Floods Key Colorado Races as Parties Battle for Legislative Seats

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette

Initial spending by a handful of independent expenditure committees offers the first glimpse of which legislative races could be the hottest for the November general election.

The biggest spender to date is the Senate Majority Fund, which backs Republican Senate candidates and, through Sept. 16, has spent just over $933,000 on three races.

The fund has raised just over $1 million since the 2024 election, all of it coming from the fund’s 527 committee.

The big donations to the 527 include GOPAC ($300,000), which does not report its donors other than its 527 committee; the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), Occidental Petroleum, Chevron and the majority fund’s federal PAC.

The majority fund is defending Sen. John Carson of Highlands Ranch from a challenge from Democratic candidate Kevin Leung and has spent more than $322,000 to defend Carson in the Senate District 30 seat.

RSLC has also spent about $40,000 to oppose Leung.

The candidates are neck and neck on fundraising. Carson has raised about $115,000 through Sept. 21 and loaned his campaign another $21,500.

Leung has raised almost $87,000 and loaned his campaign $50,000, the largest loan by any statehouse candidate so far this election season.

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