Boebert donations down, Frisch outpacing all
By CHARLES ASHBY
Since U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert switched to running in the 4th Congressional District from the 3rd, her once impressive fund-raising levels have dropped by several thousand dollars, according to her latest filings with the Federal Election Commission this week.
In the final three months of last year, the Republican incumbent pulled in more than half a million dollars in contributions when she was still running for reelection in the 3rd CD. She announced plans to switch to the 4th in late December after then-U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, also a Republican, announced he would not seek another term. He has since resigned that seat.
But in the first three months of this year as a candidate for the Eastern Plains district, Boebert brought in less than $463,000 in a GOP primary bid that has seven other candidates. In the first quarter of 2023, the congresswoman raised more than $667,000.
Still, since the start of this election cycle Boebert has raised more than $2.9 million, far more than the other seven in that race.
Only one donator, a man from Texas, asked for the $1,650 he gave her before she switched to running for the 4th CD. Her campaign said it will process any refunds, but only if donors filed a formal request for one.
Boebert’s two closest competitors in the GOP race when it comes to campaign donations, conservative radio host Deborah Flora and former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, are far behind Boebert in campaign cash. They raised about $180,000 and $167,000, respectively, in the first quarter. Flora has raised a total of $353,474 since entering the race last winter and Sonnenberg has brought in a total of $312,000.
Other notable candidates haven’t fared so well. Former Rep. Mike Lynch brought in about $42,000 and former state Sen. Ted Harvey raised $67,000. Current Rep. Richard Holtorf, meanwhile, raised nearly $143,000.
Meanwhile, in the 3rd District, Democrat Adam Frisch had been raising millions when Boebert was his chief opponent.
After she left that race, he didn’t expect to get much more money, in part, because the $11 million he has raised since February 2023 was more than enough. That didn’t happen.
Instead, Frisch pulled in another $1.5 million in the first three months of this year, leaving him with about $5.8 million in cash on hand and no primary he needs to spend that on.
“I’ve driven more 50,000 miles since February 2022, meeting with and listening to voters about their real concerns when it comes to raising families, securing good jobs, and protecting our rural way of life,” Frisch said in a statement. “My unwavering focus is not on Team Red or Team Blue, but Team CD3.”
Adam Frisch, Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District, shakes hands and meets with members of the community before a private candidate forum held at Colorado Mesa University hosted by Restore the Balance on April 2. During the first three months of 2024, Frisch has raised more than $1.5 million in his bid to win the 3rd Congressional District seat.
Photos by LARRY ROBINSON/ The Daily Sentinel
Jeff Hurd, one of the Republican candidates for the 3rd Congressional District, speaks to community members before a private candidate forum at Colorado Mesa University hosted by Restore the Balance on April 2. Since the beginning of 2024, Hurd has raised more than $241,000, bringing his total contributions since entering the race to more than $915,000.
LAUREN BOEBERT
Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd, meanwhile, raised more in campaign funds than any othercandidate seeking the GOP nomination in the June primary, and the chance to challenge Frisch in November.
Hurd raised more than $241,000, bringing his total contributions since entering the race to more than $915,000. Of that, he has nearly $528,000 in cash on hand.
Stephen Varela, who took top line on the ballot at the GOP district assembly earlier this month, raised about $70,000, $10,000 of which he donated to himself. After expenses, he has about $23,000 left.
The other candidate to get onto the ballot through the caucus process, former state Rep. Ron Hanks, didn’t fare as well. He raised only about $9,000, more than half of which was a loan to himself. Hanks, who doesn’t live in the district, has about $5,000 left.
While Carbondale resident Russ Andrews, who qualified for the ballot through the petition process on Wednesday, has raised more than $367,000, $261,000 of which was in a loan to himself, Delta real estate broker Curtis McCrackin has brought in $63,000, loaning himself $20,000 of that money to his campaign.
The two other GOP candidates who have turned in petition signatures are Joe Granado and Lewis Webb. Webb, who also qualified for the ballot on Wednesday, reported raising $2,500 in the first quarter of the year on top of the $150,000 loan he made to his campaign. Granado, who hasn’t yet qualified, didn’t file a first quarter report.