Friday marked the second campaign finance reporting deadline in school board races and ballot questions statewide, covering the period from Oct. 14 through Oct. 25.
Here’s the latest for major races and ballot questions across Colorado, though several reports were trickling in after 5 p.m. This story will be updated as the reports come in:
Denver Public Schools’ board races:
At-large candidates – citywide
Mary Seawell
Totals this reporting period: $105,310 plus $292.50 in non-monetary contributions, $95,975.56 spent; 65 different donors
Totals this campaign to date: $184,835 plus $310.15 in non-monetary contributions, $167,229.40 spent; 186 different donors
Of note: Seawell continues to out-raise and out-spend her opponent, and all other DPS candidates, by a wide margin. Endorsed by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and The Denver Post, her contributors include notable names such as Daniel Ritchie, CEO of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts; Colorado billionaire Phil Anschutz; and Susan Daggett, the wife of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, the former DPS superintendent.
But her biggest benefactor is Thomas Gamel, with Timpte Industries and Rockmont Capital, who to date has donated $92,850 – or half of her total contributions. Gamel, whose mother attended Cole Middle School, has been heavily involved in that school’s transformation to an innovation school, the Cole Arts & Sciences Academy. Click here for Ed News’ prior DPS campaign finance story for more on Gamel.
Christopher Scott
Totals this reporting period: $1,280 raised plus $250 in non-monetary contributions, $621.05 spent; 5 different donors
Totals this campaign to date: $18,231.47 plus $15,110 in non-monetary contributions, $9,848.08 spent; 56 different donors, including Scott himself
Of note: Scott continues a largely grassroots campaign relying heavily on non-monetary help from supporters, friends and family members, such as an automated phone call recorded by one of his children. He has been endorsed by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, which donated his single largest contribution of $10,000 – or more than half of his monetary total. He also has received $1,500 from DPS board member Arturo Jimenez, $500 from DPS board member Jeanne Kaplan and $1,000 from the Colorado Realtor Candidate Political Action Committee.
District 2 candidates – southwest Denver
Ismael Garcia
Totals this reporting period: $20,400 plus $5,533.63 in non-monetary contributions, $22,795.78 spent; 8 different donors
Totals this campaign to date: $64,280 plus $5,802.78 in non-monetary contributions, $33,534.09 spent including a $5,000 returned contribution; 39 different donors
Of note: Endorsed by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and The Denver Post, Garcia has pulled ahead of his opponent in dollars raised and spent. His biggest benefactor is Thomas Gamel, of Timpte Industries and Rockmont Capital, who also has invested heavily in the campaign of at-large candidate Mary Seawell. Gamel has donated $26,950 and Gamel’s associates at Timpte and Rockmont have given $18,750 for a total of $45,700 – or 71 percent of Garcia’s financial donations to date. Garcia also is receiving non-monetary support from the political arm of Stand for Children in Denver, a parent organizing group.
Andrea Merida
Totals this reporting period: $7,120 raised, $4,556.85 spent; 13 different donors
Totals this campaign to date: $27,827 raised, $13,563.22 spent; 47 different donors
Of note: Endorsed by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, Merida continues to pull heavily from union sources. She has received $19,000 to date from the DCTA, $1,500 from the American Federation of Teachers, $1,000 from the United Food and Commercial Workers, and $500 from the Colorado AFL-CIO. That $22,000 represents 79 percent of her total montary contributions. Merida also has received donations from DPS board members Arturo Jimenez and Jeanne Kaplan as well as former board member Lucia Guzman.
District 3 candidates – central Denver
Jeanne Kaplan, incumbent, unopposed
Totals this reporting period: $250 raised, $0 spent
Totals this campaign to date: $29,360 raised, $28,046.68 spent
District 4 candidates – northeast Denver
Alton Clark
Totals this reporting period: $0 raised, $1,345.78 spent
Totals this campaign to date: $0 raised, $1,998.86 spent
Of note: During a recent candidates’ forum, Clark said he would not “cow down” to anyone, including DPS leaders. “That’s why I don’t get contributions,” he said. “I cannot be bought.”
Nate Easley
Totals this reporting period: $16,026 raised, $14,524.13 spent; 32 different donors
Totals this campaign to date: $34,290 raised, $26,831.59 spent; 105 different donors
Of note: Easley has been endorsed by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and he continues to draw donations from different unions. He has received $8,000 from the DCTA, $5,000 from the Colorado Education Association, $1,500 from the American Federation of Teachers in Colorado and $250 from the Colorado AFL-CIO – a total of $14,750 or 43 percent of his total financial contributions. He also has received $5,000 from Terry Leprino Doig, a trustee of Colorado Christian University; $2,500 from former Colorado Attorney General J.D. MacFarlane; and $1,000 from the Colorado Realtor Candidate Political Action Committee.
Vernon Jones
Totals this reporting period: $29,140 raised plus $5,900.63 in non-monetary contributions, $33,366.22 spent; 25 different donors
Totals this campaign to date: $61,695 raised plus $5,900.63 in non-monetary contributions, $60,349.89 spent including a $5,000 returned donation; 61 different donors.
Of note: Jones continues to draw strong support from notable names such as Daniel Ritchie, chairman of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, $1,000 and Kristin Richardson, chair of the DPS Foundation Board, $2,500. But his biggest giver to date is Thomas Gamel, of Timpte Industries and Rockmont Capital, who has donated $22,350. Gamel’s associates at Timpte and Rockmont also have donated a combined total of $18,750. Gamel is heavily investing in the campaigns of Jones, at-large candidate Mary Seawell and District 2 candidate Ismael Garcia – all seen as more supportive of the ongoing reform efforts of DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg.
Andrea Mosby
Totals this reporting period: Report not filed as of midnight, missed deadline.
Totals this campaign to date: Report filed under the name Hope for Kid Denver shows Mosby has $4,250 in donations, including $3,500 to herself, and $0 expenditures.
Of note: Mosby is the only candidate opposed by Voices for Choice, a committee of the Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Action Fund, citing her work for the abstinence education groups Community Based Abstinence Education and Friends First.
Jacqui Shumway
Totals this reporting period: $665 raised, $258.80 spent; 12 different donors
Totals this campaign to date: $3,791 raised, $3,311.59 spent; 56 different donors, including Shumway herself.
Of note: Shumway’s biggest contribution was a $1,000 loan to herself. Other donors include state Rep. Joel Judd, D-Denver and Denver City Council members Marcia Johnson and Carla Madison.
Douglas County Schools board races
District B
Sue Catterall – Has raised $6,585 total, $1,070 in the latest period, including $500 from the AFT-Douglas County Federation. Previous contributions of note include $2,500 from the federation and $395 from the Colorado Democratic Party.
John Carson (incumbent) – Has raised a total of $14,414, with $5,125 additional in the latest period. Businessman and voucer advocate Alex Cranberg donated $5,000 and the county GOP gave $156.26 in non-monetary contributions.
District D
Dan Gerken – His total now is $20, 149 with $16,455 in the latest period. Business and voucher advocate Alex Cranberg gave $5,000, as did businessman and artist Ralph Nagel. Gerken also contributed $5,000 to his own campaign. He received $156.25 in non-monetary contributions from the county GOP.
Kevin Leung – Reported no additional contributions in the period. He previously raised $300 and loaned himself $2,824.26 land spent $2,824.26.
District E
Doug Benevento – Has now amassed a war chest of $20,401, including an additional $5,650 this period. Of that, $5,000 came from businessman and voucher advocate Alex Cranberg. He also got an additional $156.25 in-kind contribution from the county GOP.
Kristine Turner (incumbent) – Has raised $6,510, including $2,035 in the most recent period. She previously raised a total of $3,000 from two individuals connected to the AFT.
District G
Emily Hansen (incumbent) – Has raised $5,525, $1,050 of it in the last reporting period. Recent contributions include $500 from the American Federation of Teacher-Colorado Small Donor Committee. She previously received $2,500 from AFT.
Meghann Silverthorn – Has now raised her total to $17,947, including $10,646 in the latest period. Cranberg donated $5,000, and she received $5,000 from Republican former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.
Jefferson County Schools board races
District 1
Robin Johnson – Recently appointed to the board, reported no new contributions for the latest period. Running unopposed, she previously received $1,000 from the Jefferson County Education Association Small Donor Committee.
District 2
Laura Boggs – Report not filed as of midnight, missed deadline.
Sue Marinelli (incumbent) – Has added another $510 in the latest period for a total of $6,725. Prior contributions included $1,000 from the CEA-affiliated Public Education Committee, and the JCEA has kicked in $2,500.
District 5
Paula Noonan – Report not filed as of midnight, missed deadline.
Richard Rush (incumbent) – Has raised $450 more in individual donations in addition to prior contributions of $1,175, about half of those from himself.
Boulder Valley School District board races
District B
John Ketting – Not registered with secretary of state
Lesley Smith – The incumbent has raised $3,465, including $836 in the latest reporting period. She’s donated about $2,200 to herself and raised the rest from individual contributors.
District E
Tom Miers – Not registered with secretary of state
Jim Pollicita – Has raised $1,070
District F
Jennie Belval – Has raised a total of $3,947, including $710 in the most recent period. She previously received $1,000 from CEA and $250 from the Boulder Valley Education Association.
Louise Benson – Has raised a little over $700
Greeley/Evans Public Schools
Issue 3A – $16 million annual mill levy override
Greeley/Evans Citizens for Strong Schools (supports), has raised $66,060 but only added $1,300 in the last reporting period. However, the committee benefited from $20,000 worth of donated advertising from the Greeley Tribune. The campaign previously received large cash contributions from local banks, construction companies and real estate interests.
The committee had more than $11,000 on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Mapleton Public Schools
Issue 3A – $1.97 million mill levy override
Issue 3B – $30.1 million bond issue
BEST for Mapleton, the issue committee supporting the ballot questions, had $5,923.15 on hand from last year’s electoral effort and has raised $23,050 plus $10,072 in non-monetary contributions through Oct. 25. The largest donations include $10,072 in yard signs and other campaign literature from George H. Baum & Co. and $10,000 from Mountain States Toyota. The committee had spent $15,781.84.
The committee had $13,191.31 on hand at the end of the reporting period.