The final congressional campaign finance reports are now available. Here’s what they tell us about Colorado racing.

Colorado congressional campaigns on Thursday filed their final campaign finance reports ahead of Election Day, and Democrats have big monetary leads in the 3rd, 4th and 8th congressional districts, which are home to the state’s most competitive races.

The election may decide which party will control the US House of Representatives next year.

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

8th Congressional District

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

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

Reports showed Caraveo and Evans each paid for polls in the first weeks of October. They have not made public the results of those surveys.

Public polls have shown that the race in the Highly competitive 8th Districtstretching from the northeastern suburbs of Denver along US 85 to Greeley, It’s neck and neck.

Caraveo defeated his Republican opponent in 2022 by approximately 1,600 votes.

Candidates have to report donations over $1,000 so close to Election Day, and campaign reports to the Federal Election Commission show that since Oct. 16, Caraveo has raised nearly $96,000 from donors who gave $1,000 or more compared to the approximately $22,000 raised by Evans.

While Caraveo and Evans raise and spend large sums of money, most of the campaign’s cash is concentrated in District 8. the super PACs are spending itthat they can raise and spend unlimited amounts as long as they do not coordinate with the candidates.

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

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

Still, super PAC spending to benefit Caraveo ($12.5 million) has been greater than the roughly $10.6 million spent to help Evans. Most of the total spending ($17 million) has gone to negative messages.

One of the main groups helping Caraveo is the 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 refers to such organizations as dark money groups.

The Colorado Mainstream Fund reported spending $1.2 million as of Friday morning. The group raised more than $750,000 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16 (all from nonprofits that don’t disclose their donors) and spent about $500,000 during that period, reaching the final stretch before Election Day with $700,000 cash available. .

3rd Congressional District

In it 3rd Congressional Districtstretching across Colorado’s western slope to Pueblo and southeastern Colorado, Democrat Adam Frisch continues to dominate the campaign cash game.

It reported raising $475,000 between October 1 and 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 cash to spare. the campaign. for the final 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 Third District race has been a fraction of spending in the Eighth District, but Republicans are increasing 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 Republican, but became competitive in 2022 thanks to incumbent U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert. unpopularity. Since then, he has changed electoral districts..

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

4th Congressional District

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

Calvarese also spent nearly five times more than Boebert during the reporting period.

calvarese raised $573,000 during the period and spent $1.6 millionmainly in advertising. He had $257,000 in cash as of October 16. Boebert raised about $80,000 and spent $333,000also in advertising, ending the period with around $296,000 in cash.

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

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

TO 30 second ad The group broadcasting implores 4th District voters to reject Boebert to maintain their quiet, rural lifestyle.

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

Colorado Sun correspondent Sandra Fish contributed to this report.