In competitive Congressional District 8 race, Thornton’s Jan Kulmann leads in fundraising, Barbara Kirkmeyer second among GOP
By Trenton Sperry
In Colorado’s new 8th Congressional District, a national battleground guaranteed to see millions of dollars in political spending this year, Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann leads three fellow Republicans in fundraising from individual donors, and Democratic state Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Thornton has nearly half a million dollars stashed away for the general election.
According to records the candidates’ campaign committees submitted to the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, Kulmann has raised $408,754 from individual donors this election cycle, including $74,649 this quarter (April 1 to June 8). State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer of Brighton is second among the GOP field in individual fundraising this cycle with $319,964, including $82,059 this quarter.
Republican Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine of Dacono has raised $210,634 from individual donors this election cycle, including $53,345 this quarter – of which $17,002 was transferred to Saine’s campaign from Tea Party organization FreedomWorks. And veteran Tyler Allcorn, the fourth candidate vying for the Republican nomination for the CD8 seat on June 28 – who lives outside the district but is nevertheless legally eligible to run – has raised $172,608 from individual donors this cycle, including $36,575 this quarter.
Allcorn leads the Republican field in cash on hand with $189,288 – more than 85% of which constitutes a loan the candidate made to his campaign from personal funds – although Kulmann is a close second with $188,583. Saine has the third-most cash ready for spending with $113,850, and Kirkmeyer has just $61,666 remaining in her campaign coffers.
Though Kulmann and Kirkmeyer are neck-and-neck in campaign spending this cycle – Kulmann has spent $281,087 and Kirkmeyer has spent $276,090 through June 8 – Kirkmeyer is getting a boost from libertarian nonprofit Americans for Prosperity, a dark-money group formed by the Koch brothers. Through June 15, AFP has spent $283,641 on media buys, mailers and digital ads supporting Kirkmeyer, according to FEC records.
Saine has spent $183,163 through June 8, and Allcorn has spent $160,086. The majority of Saine’s campaign spending this quarter – $50,000 of $81,106 spent from April 1 to June 8 – went to paying back the candidate for a loan she made to her campaign committee. Saine has now fully recouped the $80,000 she loaned her campaign at the outset.
But whoever wins the GOP nomination later this month will face a cash-flush Caraveo in November; the Democrat has raised $724,888 from individuals this election cycle, including $212,310 this quarter, and had $427,813 in cash on hand as of June 8. Caraveo’s campaign has spent $419,198 this cycle.
Caraveo also has benefitted from money received from political action committees, or PACs. Her campaign has received $122,050 from PACs this cycle, including $73,550 this quarter. For comparison, Kulmann leads the Republican field in PAC money received with just $15,000.
The 8th CD was created this past year by an independent redistricting commission following the 2020 Census and national reapportionment of House seats. When the district’s map was approved in June 2021, Democrats had a registration advantage over Republicans of about 3 percentage points, although unaffiliated voters made up a plurality of registered voters at more than 44%.
Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan political analysis and handicapping newsletter run by the University of Virginia Center for Politics, rates the district as a Democratic Tossup. The Cook Political Report, an independent, nonpartisan newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns, rates the district as a Republican Tossup.
Colorado’s primary election takes place June 28. The general election takes place Nov. 8. The winner of the general election will be sworn into office as a member of the 118th Congress on Jan. 3, 2023, and will serve a term of two years. There are no term limits for members of Congress.