Last night, Senate Democrats hosted their annual post-session fundraiser for the Senate Democrat Campaign Fund. The problem they encountered: they lacked donors. Our sources tell us there was a distinct lack of attendees, barely more than a baker's dozen, and of those who actually showed up about half were legislators.
The fundraiser was asking for donations between $100-$1000. Fundraisers will tell you that's where most of the money that funds campaigns comes from. While reports tend to focus on the max out donors, they really aren't that big in the scope of the whole fundraising effort. It's the $100-$1000 range that really matters. And when Democrats can't raise from that range, they're in big trouble.
The Senate Democrats' fearless flower boy leader, Brandon Shaffer, apparently is about as popular among Democrat donors as he is among the Peak's readership. When Shaffer can't raise money at an event meant to celebrate his legislative accomplishments, how the heck is he supposed to put together a campaign kitty big enough to challenge Cory Gardner, the biggest first quarter fundraiser in the Congressional delegation?
Democrat donors, we're sure, wanted to see big liberal legislation to finish out a session dominated by Democrats controlling two of the three levers of political power. What did they get? Flower shop regulation, a redistricting map that was a decisive loser for Democrats, and the snuffing out of the Amazon tax repeal, a position that pit Democrat leadership against a broad bipartisan coalition supporting repeal.
And now the post-session period is quickly being consumed by a failed-Gubernatorial candidate attempting to raise taxes in a recession. Not the optics Democrats were hoping for.
We may not give Democrat Senate leadership the kind of money they're looking for, but they can always count on our two cents here at the Peak.
All the voters lose as long as these special interest campaign funds on both sides of the aisle remain legal.
and donors aren’t about the place their bets on a soon to be minority party in the State Senate. A party of which has been nothing but hostile to Colorado businesses, citizens and even their own Gov.
Peak Politics, your count is a bit off:
Dems control 3 out of 4 levers of political power in Colorado (not 2 out of 3).
Just sayin’…
Yeah, don’t forget about the little group of elite billionaires who buy elections year after year! They want their SEAT at the table too! They are so powerful and important to Democrats that they are happy to give them their own lever! (See: Yates, redistricting)
…you might want to work on your tag line…
Just sayin’
Dems may be struggling to raise money like regular candidates, but one flick of the pen from Tim Gill and all their funding woes disappear.