The final financial reports from the congressional campaign have arrived. Here’s what they tell us about the races in Colorado.

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Colorado’s congressional campaigns filed their final campaign finance reports ahead of Election Day on Thursday, and Democrats have big cash advantages in the 3rd, 4th and 8th Congressional Districts, which host the state’s most competitive races.

The contests could determine which party controls the U.S. House next year.

Here are the key takeaways from the reports, which reflect fundraising and spending from October 1 to 16. Subsequent filings are not due to the Federal Election Commission until after November 5, Election Day.

8th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton, raised nearly $580,000 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16, compared to the $274,000 raised by her Republican opponent, Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans.

Caraveo spent $1.6 million during the reporting period, including about $1.4 million on advertising, and had $2.4 million in cash for the final weeks of the campaign. Evans, meanwhile, spent $732,000 – mostly on advertising – and had $363,000 in cash at the end of the reporting period.

The reports showed that Caraveo and Evans each paid for the election in the first weeks of October. They have not made the results of those studies public.

Public opinion polls have shown a race in the US very competitive 8th districtstretching from the northeastern suburbs of Denver along US 85 to Greeley, is neck and neck.

Caraveo defeated her Republican opponent in 2022 by about 1,600 votes.

Candidates must report donations above $1,000 just before Election Day, and campaign reports to the Federal Elections Commission show that since Oct. 16, Caraveo has raised nearly $96,000 from donors who gave $1,000 or more, compared to the roughly $22,000 raised by Evans .

While Caraveo and Evans are each raising and spending large amounts of money, the bulk of the campaign is in the 8th District is issued by super PACswho can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as long as they do not collaborate with the candidates.

Super PACs had reported spending more than $23 million on the contest through Friday morning. That eclipses the $16.6 million spent by super PACs in the district in 2022.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC tied to House Speaker Mike Johnson, is the largest spender in the district, with nearly $5.5 million reported through Friday morning.

Still, the spending in Caraveo’s favor by super PACs — $12.5 million — is greater than the roughly $10.6 million spent to help Evans. The majority of the total expenditure – $17 million – went to negative reporting.

One of the main groups Caraveo helps is the mainstream Colorado Fund, which was founded in August and has raised most of its money from political nonprofits that do not disclose their donors. The Sun calls these organizations ‘dark money groups’.

The Mainstream Colorado Fund reported spending $1.2 million through Friday morning. The group raised more than $750,000 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16 — all from nonprofits that do not disclose their donors — and spent about $500,000 during that period, entering the final phase before Election Day with $700,000 in cash on hand. .

3rd Congressional District

In the 3rd Congressional Districtstretching from Colorado’s Western Slope to Pueblo and southeastern Colorado, Democrat Adam Frisch continues to dominate the campaign cash game.

He reported raising $475,000 between October 1 and October 16. Frisch, a former Aspen city councilman who ran unsuccessfully in the district in 2022, spent $1.1 million during that period — most of it on advertising — and still had $1.4 million in campaign cash. for the last stretch before election day. His Republican opponent, Grand Junction Attorney Jeff Hurd, raised $166,000, spent $560,000 and had $312,000 in the bank.

Super PAC spending in the 3rd District race was a fraction of spending in the 8th District, but Republicans are ramping up their aid to Hurd.

The Congressional Leadership Fund spent more money this week to help Hurd, bringing its investment in the district to more than $190,000.

The 3rd District leans in favor of Republicans, but became competitive in 2022 thanks to the position of incumbent U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert. unpopularity. She has since changed congressional districts.

Frisch spent $80,000 on polls during the fundraising period but has not released the results of those surveys.

4th Congressional District

Democrat Trisha Calvarese raised seven times more money than Boebert from Oct. 1 through Oct. 16 in the 4th Congressional District, which stretches from the Eastern Plains to Loveland and Douglas County.

Calvarese also outscored Boebert nearly fivefold during the reporting period.

Calvarese raised $573,000 and spent $1.6 million during the periodmostly on advertising. On October 16, she had $257,000 in cash. Boebert approximately $80,000 raised and $333,000 spentalso in advertising, and ended the period with approximately $296,000 in cash.

The 4th District has traditionally been a Republican stronghold, but Boebert’s national unpopularity among Democrats has led to a fundraising boon for Calvarese. Super PACs are largely ignoring the race so far, indicating that national Democrats and Republicans do not view the fight as competitive.

The only outlier is the defeat Boebert PAC, the Florida-based federal super PAC formed this summer to oppose Boebert. On October 22, $100,000 was spent on digital ads attacking the congressman.

A 30 second spot The group’s broadcast implores voters in the 4th District to reject Boebert to preserve their quiet, rural way of life.

The PAC has reported raising $629,000 since its founding in July and spending about half that amount.

Colorado Sun correspondent Sandra Fish contributed to this report.

Type of story: News

Based on facts, either directly observed and verified by the reporter, or reported and verified from expert sources.