Attorney General Phil Weiser’s early entrance into the Colorado governor’s race has paid dividends as he competes with U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet for Democratic backers and dollars.
Weiser rode his January announcement for the 2026 nomination to a surge in fundraising in the first quarter of the year — and he continued the push through the recently closed second quarter. As of June 30, according to reports due Tuesday, he held a clear cash advantage over Bennet, who entered the race in April.
In all, Weiser has raised $2.9 million, including $1 million in the second quarter. Bennet has raised $1.7 million since his announcement. Weiser started the second half of the year with about $2.5 million in his campaign chest, while Bennet reported about $1.3 million.
Separate federal campaign finance filings due Tuesday showed the potential Democratic challengers to Colorado’s Republican members of Congress, especially U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert and Gabe Evans, raising significant sums to take them on in the 2026 midterms.
In the governor’s race, the primary elections to determine the major parties’ nominees will be next summer. The general election will be in November 2026.
“We have raised substantially more money for our campaign, have substantially more cash on hand, and have more individual donors than Sen. Bennet or any candidate in this race,” Weiser said in a statement about his fundraising. “This level of support shows that we have the momentum, energy, and resources to give Colorado voters the competitive race they deserve.”
Bennet’s team, meanwhile, argued his haul, which far exceeded Weiser’s since the spring, set a record for the second quarter of an election off-year.
The three-term U.S. senator — who brings the name recognition, campaign infrastructure and fundraising connections those wins entail — was seen by many as an immediate frontrunner to succeed Gov. Jared Polis. Polis, who won elections in 2018 and 2022, is term-limited from running again.
In June, Bennet followed up his campaign announcement with a splashy list of endorsements from more than 130 leaders across the state. The endorsers included top Democrats in the Colorado legislature and a handful of people who flipped from backing Weiser earlier or opted to co-endorse the two.
“I’m grateful to everyone who has stepped up to support this campaign,” Bennet said in a statement. “This record-breaking fundraising shows the strength of our movement. Together, we are forging the coalition it takes to build a Colorado where working people can get ahead and to show the entire country what leadership and hope look like, at a moment when it couldn’t matter more.”
Colorado hasn’t elected a Republican governor in more than two decades, but several hopefuls are trying to win the office back for the party.
So far, the Republican race for the nomination is decidedly less cash-heavy. None of the top four declared candidates for the GOP nomination — state Rep. Scott Bottoms, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, former U.S. Rep. Greg Lopez and Sen. Mark Baisley — have raised more than $35,000.
Closely watched CD8 race heats up
The 2026 race for the 8th Congressional District, which runs from north metro Denver through Greeley, began nearly as soon as Evans finished his swearing-in ceremony in January. Democratic challengers have seized on President Donald Trump’s return to power, along with Evans’ support for the president’s massive spending and tax cuts bill, in their bids to oust the new incumbent.
More than a half-dozen Democrats have already pledged to run against the freshman Republican in the highly contested swing district. Together, the challengers have raised more than Evans — but the incumbent has hauled in more cash than any individual.
Evans raised more than $1.7 million in this election cycle through June 30, about half of which came in this past quarter. He entered the second half of the year with nearly $1.5 million in cash on hand.
“Congressman Gabe Evans has hit the ground running in Washington, delivering commonsense results,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Zach Bannon said in a statement. “This massive fundraising haul shows just how energized voters are to keep him in Congress.”
State Rep. Manny Rutinel, a Commerce City Democrat and the first to enter the primary race in January, has raised about $1.6 million total this election cycle — but also has spent nearly half of it already. About $416,000 of the fundraising came in the second quarter.
State Rep. Shannon Bird, of Westminster, declared for the seat in May and reported raising nearly $447,000 through June.
Former U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, who is running for the seat again after narrowly losing to Evans in 2024, reported total receipts of about $233,000 since she entered the 2026 race in mid-April.
Direct candidate spending will likely be a fraction of what is spent in total on that race, however. The 8th District is one of the most contested districts in the country and could be key for whichever party wins control of the House of Representatives in 2026.
In the last cycle, the candidates themselves raised about $10.7 million, but more than $29 million was spent by outside groups, according to Open Secrets.
Boebert effect remains strong
Democrats continue to raise beaucoup bucks in their attempts to unseat Boebert, the Windsor Republican and MAGA diehard.
Retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Eileen Laubacher, a Democrat who launched her bid in mid-May, reported raising $1.9 million since then — almost all of which, $1.6 million, was reported as unitemized, small-donor contributions. She has also spent $836,000 of that haul.
Trisha Calvarese, the union activist who ran against Boebert in 2024, has reported raising nearly $148,000.
Boebert, who served two terms representing the Western Slope’s 3rd Congressional District before moving to the even more GOP-friendly 4th Congressional District, reported raising less than either potential challenger in the second quarter, with about $137,000.
Her total fundraising this cycle, bolstered by prior runs, topped $602,000 — but overall spending chewed into that, leaving her with $174,000 in cash going into July. She remains the strong favorite in the race, having won the seat by about 12 percentage points in November — even as she outspent Calvarese by only about a quarter, or $1.1 million, that cycle.
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