Group tied to Colorado election overhaul drops $1 million in last-minute primary spending

A group backed by a wealthy Denverite who’s trying to overhaul Colorado’s election system dropped $1 million on more than a dozen statehouse races just days before a hotly contested primary Election Day, pumping another huge sum of cash into contests already awash in outside spending and dark money.

Let Colorado Vote Action was registered with the Colorado Secretary of State on Monday, eight days before Election Day. By Wednesday, it had doled out between $20,000 and $150,000 to support eight Democrats and five Republicans running in contested primaries. Much of the $1.08 million in total funds went to several races that have already seen significant outside spending from organizations boosting more moderate candidates.

The group is backed by Kent Thiry, the Denver-based former CEO of the dialysis giant DaVita who’s supporting a ballot measure to overhaul the state’s election process. In a statement to The Denver Post on Saturday morning, Thiry wrote that it was “time for many of us to stand up for the majority in the middle. We are supporting responsible candidates in each party who believe in civil and bipartisan behavior, and who believe they represent all the voters in their districts.”

The documents detailing the expenditures weren’t released until Friday night. Because Election Day is Tuesday and the group was registered so quickly, Let Colorado Vote Action has yet not had to disclose its donors. The next filing deadline is July 1, nearly a week after Election Day. All 13 races are generally safe partisan seats, meaning whoever wins their respective primaries Tuesday will be in position to advance to the legislature come November.

The new spending committee shares a name, registered agent and phone number with Let Colorado Vote, which is supporting an effort to put a sweeping overhaul of the state’s election system in front of voters in November.

If placed on the ballot and passed, the proposed overhaul would institute a ranked-choice voting system here, in which voters pick four candidates from a primary field to send to a general election. Let Colorado Vote has also recently been critical of Colorado lawmakers for recently inserting a late amendment into an election bill in order to slow any future switch to ranked-choice voting.

Earlier this month, Thiry donated $750,000 to Colorado Voters First, the group supporting the ballot measure campaign. As recently as last year, Thiry was also the chair of Let Colorado Vote.

Jason Bertolacci, a registered agent for both Let Colorado Vote and the new spending committee, is also a representative for the ballot initiative. He did not immediately return messages seeking comment Saturday morning.

The ranked-choice voting effort has been controversial, and the late spending spree comes just weeks after Democratic lawmakers successfully inserted a last-minute amendment into an elections bill to trip up any future switch to ranked-choice voting. The change, first reported by the Colorado Sun, wasn’t identified until well after the bill passed, sparking criticism from Let Colorado Vote and others who urged Gov. Jared Polis to veto the entire measure. The governor still signed the bill into law, though he criticized the late amendment.

A mailer already distributed by the new spending committee and reviewed by The Denver Post blasts “party insiders” for introducing the amendment. The mailer does not identify any specific candidate or lawmaker. Let Colorado Vote Action’s website calls for the amendment to be repealed.

Though the late cash infusion will also back several Republicans in their own primaries, much of the spending will go to influence Democratic races, several of which have already been the source of financial arms races. Indeed, Let Colorado Vote Action’s spending closely mirrors the preferences of other outside groups, much of which is backed by untraceable donations. Those groups have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to boost more moderate candidates over their more left-wing opponents.

The donations from Let Colorado Vote Action include $150,000 to support Cecelia Espenoza, who’s challenging sitting Denver Rep. Tim Hernández; $100,000 for Sean Camacho, vying to unseat another Denver representative, Elisabeth Epps; $100,000 for Rebekah Stewart, who’s running for an open seat in Lakewood; and $150,000 for Michael Carter, who’s seeking an Aurora-based seat.

Hernández and Epps are among the most left-wing lawmakers in the Capitol. Carter’s opponent, Bryan Lindstrom, is similarly backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Kyra deGruy Kennedy, who’s challenging Stewart in Lakewood, has already faced more than $200,000 in outside spending against her.

Let Colorado Vote Action also contributed $150,000 in support of Democratic Rep. Lindsey Daugherty’s campaign to switch to an Arvada Senate seat and $125,000 to Republican Rep. Lisa Frizell, who’s looking to make a similar move in Castle Rock.

Epps, Hernández, deGruy Kennedy and Lindstrom have all faced significant spending sprees from other outside groups backing their opponents. So, too, has Yara Zokaie, who’s running for an open state House seat in Fort Collins. Her opponent, fellow Democrat Ethnie Groves Treick, has similarly been supported by hefty outside spending.