Where do political contributions to Colorado candidates come from?
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Political action committees spend big money on election years. KRDO has been tracking campaign contributions for congressional candidates since September.
Some groups are looking to gain or keep control of the House or Senate. Others have specific interests like gun control. Some contributors' motives aren't so obvious, though.
Sen. Cory Gardner
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, incumbent Republican Sen. Cory Gardner's top contributor, as of Tuesday, is the Votesane PAC. Based in Virginia, it claims to be a non-partisan group promoting political participation. However, it's recipients are mostly Republicans and many of its donors come from the real estate industry.
Apollo Global Management in New York is another top contributor for Gardner. It's an investment company also dealing in real estate. Apollo's founder, Leon Black, faces criticism this week for alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
John Hickenlooper
Gardner's opponent, former Colorado governor and Democrat John Hickenlooper takes money from Liberty Media Corporation in Englewood, Colorado. Liberty Media has stake in Sirius XM and owns the Atlanta Braves and the Formula One Group.
The University of Colorado also contributes to Hickenlooper's Senate campaign. And the University of California comes in a close third for Hickenlooper's campaign contributions. Though the money isn't likely coming from the schools themselves. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, "Political donations from the education industry largely come from individuals associated with various institutions, as universities and schools typically cannot form PACs."
Lauren Boebert
Republican Lauren Boebert is running to represent Colorado District 3 in the U.S. House of Representatives. District 3 includes Pueblo and the rural western slope. One week out from the election, her top contributor is Cusumano Real Estate Group, which is based in Burbank, California.
Boebert also received money from Woodforest Financial Group located in Texas. Woodforest National Bank claims to be Walmart's largest retail partner.
Diane Mitsch Bush
The Democratic challenger for Colorado's Congressional District 3, Diane Mitsch Bush, receives campaign funds from Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., and Amazon.com. All are based in California.
