With two weeks until the June 28 primary, candidates for statewide offices are spending heavily on digital and radio advertising.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat up for reelection, spent nearly $225,000 on TV advertising through the firm Bluewest Media, according to a campaign finance report filed Monday. That latest report covers just under two weeks from May 26 until June 8, or about the time voters in Colorado began receiving their mail-in ballots.
She also spent about $5,400 on digital advertising through the Denver firm 4 Degrees.
Griswold is not facing a primary opponent but could potentially compete against Republican Tina Peters in the general election if Peters secures her party’s nomination. Peters, an ardent election denier who is under a grand jury indictment for facilitating a security breach within her county’s election department while acting as clerk, has also ramped up advertising expenditures.
She spent $50,000 for internet advertising and over $6,500 in advertising across various radio networks across the state, including a $4,000 buy at KNUS.
Peters’ campaign also made a $500 donation to Vote USA, a nonprofit that generates sample ballots with candidate information for voters. Additionally, her campaign gave $100 to True the Vote, a conservative Texas-based nonprofit aimed at stopping voter fraud. The campaign’s memo stated that the expenditure was to disperse a $100 anonymous donation made to the organization.
The other two Republican candidates for secretary of state, Pam Anderson and Mike O’Donnell, did not report any advertising expenditures from the last two weeks. Anderson, however, has the most cash on hand of the three with about $40,000 in the bank.
In the governor’s race, the incumbent Democrat Jared Polis reported spending about $4,900 on Facebook advertisements during the reporting period. Polis, who has contributed significant amounts of his own money to his reelection campaign and limited individual donations, has the most cash on hand as of June 8 with almost $4.8 million, which sets him up for a potentially expensive general election campaign.
Republican Heidi Ganahl reported about $38,000 in media buys through AXD Media while her challenger Greg Lopez spent $5,800 for yard signs.
And while Lopez did not pay for his own advertising recently, there are groups working to raise his name recognition. The Colorado Information Network spent about $400,000 on advertisements highlighting Lopez’s conservatism, with money from the Democratic Governors Association, as reported by The Colorado Sun.
The next campaign finance report is due on June 27 and will cover candidates' contributions and expenditures from June 8 until June 22.
Colorado voters should receive their primary mail-in ballots soon, if they have not already, for the June 28 election.
In the governor’s race, the incumbent Democrat Jared Polis reported spending about $4,900 on Facebook advertisements during the reporting period. Polis, who has contributed significant amounts of his own money to his reelection campaign and limited individual donations, has the most cash on hand as of June 8 with almost $4.8 million, which sets him up for a potentially expensive general election campaign.
Republican Heidi Ganahl reported about $38,000 in media buys through AXD Media while her challenger Greg Lopez spent $5,800 for yard signs.
And while Lopez did not pay for his own advertising recently, there are groups working to raise his name recognition. The Colorado Information Network spent about $400,000 on advertisements highlighting Lopez’s conservatism, with money from the Democratic Governors Association, as reported by The Colorado Sun.
The next campaign finance report is due on June 27 and will cover candidates' contributions and expenditures from June 8 until June 22.
Colorado voters should receive their primary mail-in ballots soon, if they have not already, for the June 28 election.
To read more stories from Colorado Newsline, visit www.coloradonewsline.com.
