Congressional candidate and multimillionaire Jared Polis sunk another $2.1 million of his own money into his campaign Thursday, bringing his self-funding to nearly $3.7 million.
That likely catapults Polis into the top spot of self-funders for all candidates running for a U.S. House seat this election cycle. The leader had been Illinois Republican James Oberweis, who pumped nearly $2.9 million into his campaign before losing a special election in March, according to data on .
In May 2007, Polis signed a declaration that he did not intend to spend any of his personal money in the race.
His campaign said Thursday that the money would “ensure he has the means to communicate with voters” about everything from health care to the economy.
“Jared is the only candidate in this race who will go to Washington with true independence from hard-nosed special interests,” his campaign manager, Robert Becker, said in a statement.
Polis is running against former state Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald and conservationist Will Shafroth in the 2nd Congressional District. Shafroth has given his campaign $6,900, while Fitz-Gerald has contributed $15,000 of her own money.
“This is clearly not the way I have chosen to run my campaign,” Shafroth said about Polis’ self-funding. “Bottom line, 99 percent of my contributions have come from hardworking individuals, people who are thirsting for real, honest change.”
Mary Alice Mandarich, spokeswoman for Fitz-Gerald, said that at a time when middle America is “struggling to pay their bills, put gas in their cars and send kids to college, the fact that Polis has now put in $3.7 million is not reflective of this district or middle-class America.”
Karen Crummy: 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com
