Billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s heavy support of Michael Bennetap campaign for Colorado governor — which has now reached $2.5 million given to an outside committee — has helped the U.S. senator widen the money gap over his Democratic rival.
Attorney General Phil Weiser, meanwhile, still can tout the strongest direct support among the two Democrats when it comes to contributions to their own campaigns. On the Republican side, Colorado Springs pastor Victor Marx has amassed by far the largest war chest among the three contenders in the June 30 primary.
New campaign finance reports filed by a Monday deadline shed light on recent fundraising by and in support of candidates for state offices in this year’s elections. The reports cover donations and expenses from Jan. 1 through April 29.
The total amount contributed by Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, to an independent expenditure committee supporting Bennet accounts for nearly a quarter of the $10.5 million that has gone to support Bennet either directly or indirectly. Brighter Future for Colorado, a dark-money group that does not need to disclose its donors as a nonprofit, has contributed another $1 million to the independent committee, according to campaign finance records.
Collectively, that $3.5 million from Bloomberg and the nonprofit helps give Bennet a commanding financial lead over Weiser.
Weiser has raised about $5.9 million directly through his campaign, including nearly $1.4 million during the latest reporting period, while another $1 million has gone to the independent expenditure committee supporting him.
Bennet has raised $4.4 million directly, about $974,000 of which arrived in the recent reporting period. The remaining $6.1 million has gone to the outside committee supporting him.
The independent expenditure committees can raise unlimited sums, including from organizations that don’t disclose their donors, compared to the $1,450-per-individual limit on direct campaign contributions to candidates.
The independent committees are prohibited from coordinating with candidates.
“Our campaign is powered by the people of Colorado — not out-of-state billionaires, big corporations, or dark money,” Weiser said in a statement this week. He characterized his campaign as being “fueled by unprecedented grassroots support” and Bennet’s as “an establishment, Washington, D.C., campaign.”
Weiser, who has ramped up TV ad buys in recent weeks to boost his name ID, entered the final two months of the primary campaign with about $2.7 million in the bank. The committee supporting him, Fighting for Colorado, had about $961,000 left.
Bennet reported about $1.2 million left in his campaign coffers. The committee supporting him, Rocky Mountain Way, had about $4.6 million in the bank.
“With only two months until Election Day, Coloradans are rallying behind Michael’s vision for a better, stronger Colorado,” Bennet’s campaign manager, Nellie Moran, said in a statement. She added that Bennet “has the experience and the guts to make the hard decisions and tackle our cost-of-living crisis head-on.”
GOP race for governor
In the race for the Republican nomination for governor, Marx continues to substantially outraise his competitors.
He reported raising nearly $1.7 million in the first four months of 2026 — more than 10 times what the next-most-monied GOP candidate, state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, reported raising and the single largest haul of the reporting period.
Marx has reported raising nearly $2.3 million total in his pursuit of the Republican nomination. Kirkmeyer has reported raising about $510,000 total this election cycle, with about $128,000 coming in the most recent period.
Kirkmeyer, who is one of the most powerful elected Republicans in the state as a member of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, and Marx, a political newcomer, have each spent a considerable chunk of their cash already. Marx entered the final stretch before the June 30 primary with about $530,000 in the bank, while Kirkmeyer had about $93,000.
State Rep. Scott Bottoms, who won the Republican state assembly last month and will get the top line on the ballot, has reported total fundraising of about $179,000, of which $68,000 was raised in the latest fundraising period. He had about $8,000 in the bank.
Other constitutional offices
Besides the governor’s race, Colorado’s other three state constitutional offices are open races this year as the incumbents run up against term limits.
In the attorney general’s race, Democrat Jena Griswold continues to outpace her competition. Griswold, the current secretary of state, has raised $1.8 million total, including $340,000 in the latest period. She reported more than $1 million in the bank.
None of her competitors for the party’s nomination — Hetal Doshi, David Seligman and Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty — have reported raising more than $1 million total this campaign. In the most recent period, though, all three raised more than $100,000 in donations. Dougherty, who raised more than $230,000 in contributions, also loaned his campaign $154,665.
Republican attorney general candidate Michael Allen, the Colorado Springs district attorney who entered the race in January, has reported raising about $163,000 total, while David Willson, a more recent GOP entrant, has raised $1,165.
In the secretary of state’s race, state Sen. Jessie Danielson has pulled ahead of Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez in fundraising as they seek the Democratic nomination. Danielson reported raising almost $305,000 this cycle, to Gonzalez’s $184,000.
The sole Republican candidate for secretary of state, James Wiley, has not reported raising any money.
In the treasurer’s race, Democratic state Sen. Jeff Bridges has reported raising about $393,000 total. Fremont County Commissioner Kevin Grantham, a Republican, has reported raising about $84,000. The two men are running unopposed for their parties’ nominations.
Updated (on May 7, 2026): Information about fundraising in the Colorado attorney general’s race was updated to note that Michael Dougherty made a loan to his campaign.
