From left: Kelly Brough, Mike Johnston, Leslie Herod
Kelly Brough, Mike Johnston and Leslie Herod are the three Denver mayoral candidates that raised the most money from outside contributors in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to financial disclosures.
Brough and Herod, who led the fundraising race at the end of the third quarter, hauled in another $232,000 and $134,000, respectively, between October and December.
And Johnston brought in $186,000, despite not announcing his candidacy — and thus being able to accept contributions — until November.
Brough, Herod and Johnston are among more than two dozen candidates who have filed to run for mayor. Fourth-quarter campaign finance reports were due Wednesday.
The municipal election is April 4. If no candidate gets greater than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will compete in a June 6 runoff election.
The above figures, along with those elsewhere in this story, do not include contributions from the city’s new “Fair Elections Fund,” which provides public matching funds at a 9-to-1 ratio for donations of $50 or less if candidates agree to certain conditions. Those matching funds can add significantly to a campaign’s war chest.
Below are the mayoral candidates that had reported raising at least $20,000 from outside contributors as of Dec. 31, in order of total raised since in the fourth quarter:
1) Kelly Brough
Amount raised in Q4: $232,310
Total raised since campaign launch: $361,755 in about 1,350 contributions
Brough worked as chief of staff to former mayor John Hickenlooper, led the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce from 2009 to 2021 and worked as chief strategy officer for Metropolitan State University from December 2021 to August 2022. Total includes $1,483 in in-kind contributions and no loans.
2) Mike Johnston
Total/Q4: $185,656 in 738 contributions (declared candidacy in November)
Johnston represented a portion of Denver in the Colorado State Senate from 2009 to 2017. He worked as president and CEO of nonprofit Gary Community Ventures from January 2020 to November 2022. Total includes no in-kind contributions or loans.
3) Leslie Herod
Q4: $134,117
Total: $217,853 in about 2,335 contributions
Herod has represented a portion of Denver in the Colorado House of Representatives since 2017. Total includes $5,583 in in-kind contributions and no loans.
4) Chris Hansen
Total/Q4: $87,411 in 708 contributions (declared candidacy in November)
Hansen represents a portion of Denver in the Colorado State Senate, and previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives. Total includes no in-kind contributions or loans.
5) Alex Valdez
Total/Q4: $47,246 in 330 contributions (declared candidacy in November)
Valdez, a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, announced this week he was ending his run for mayor. Total includes no in-kind contributions or loans.
6) Trinidad Rodriguez
Total/Q4: $40,812 in 325 contributions (declared candidacy in November)
Rodriguez worked in finance for decades, including at D.A. Davidson & Co. and George K. Baum & Co., according to his LinkedIn. Total includes $5,000 in loans from Rodriguez to his campaign.
7) Debbie Ortega
Q4: $39,477
Total: $88,554 in about 715 contributions
Ortega has been an at-large member of the Denver City Council since 2011. Total includes $950 in in-kind contributions and no loans.
8) Lisa Calderon
Total/Q4: $26,357 in 474 contributions (declared candidacy in October)
Calderon runs Emerge Colorado, which recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office. She previously worked as chief of staff to Denver Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca and placed third in the 2019 mayoral race. Total includes no in-kind contributions or loans.
9) Andre Rougeot
Q4: $7,852 plus a $250,000 loan from Rougeot
Total: $32,526 in about 85 contributions, plus $500,000 in loans from Rougeot
Rougeot is an Army veteran who runs RG Maintenance, a company that fixes gates and keypads for self-storage facilities across Colorado, according to his website. Total includes $604 in in-kind contributions and $500,000 in loans from Rougeout to his campaign.
10) Ean Tafoya
Q4: $7,450
Total: $29,097 in about 750 contributions
Tafoya works for national nonprofit GreenLatinos, according to his LinkedIn. Total includes $761 in in-kind contributions and a $2,000 loan from Tafoya.
11) Terrance Roberts
Q4: $3,307
Total: $20,481 in about 550 contributions
Roberts is a civil rights activist and former gang member, and the central figure in the 2021 book “The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun And The Struggle To Save an American Neighborhood.” Total includes $821 in in-kind contributions and no loans.
From left: Kelly Brough, Mike Johnston, Leslie Herod
Kelly Brough, Mike Johnston and Leslie Herod are the three Denver mayoral candidates that raised the most money from outside contributors in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to financial disclosures.
Brough and Herod, who led the fundraising race at the end of the third quarter, hauled in another $232,000 and $134,000, respectively, between October and December.
And Johnston brought in $186,000, despite not announcing his candidacy — and thus being able to accept contributions — until November.
Brough, Herod and Johnston are among more than two dozen candidates who have filed to run for mayor. Fourth-quarter campaign finance reports were due Wednesday.
The municipal election is April 4. If no candidate gets greater than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will compete in a June 6 runoff election.
The above figures, along with those elsewhere in this story, do not include contributions from the city’s new “Fair Elections Fund,” which provides public matching funds at a 9-to-1 ratio for donations of $50 or less if candidates agree to certain conditions. Those matching funds can add significantly to a campaign’s war chest.
Below are the mayoral candidates that had reported raising at least $20,000 from outside contributors as of Dec. 31, in order of total raised since in the fourth quarter:
1) Kelly Brough
Amount raised in Q4: $232,310
Total raised since campaign launch: $361,755 in about 1,350 contributions
Brough worked as chief of staff to former mayor John Hickenlooper, led the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce from 2009 to 2021 and worked as chief strategy officer for Metropolitan State University from December 2021 to August 2022. Total includes $1,483 in in-kind contributions and no loans.
2) Mike Johnston
Total/Q4: $185,656 in 738 contributions (declared candidacy in November)
Johnston represented a portion of Denver in the Colorado State Senate from 2009 to 2017. He worked as president and CEO of nonprofit Gary Community Ventures from January 2020 to November 2022. Total includes no in-kind contributions or loans.
3) Leslie Herod
Q4: $134,117
Total: $217,853 in about 2,335 contributions
Herod has represented a portion of Denver in the Colorado House of Representatives since 2017. Total includes $5,583 in in-kind contributions and no loans.
4) Chris Hansen
Total/Q4: $87,411 in 708 contributions (declared candidacy in November)
Hansen represents a portion of Denver in the Colorado State Senate, and previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives. Total includes no in-kind contributions or loans.
5) Alex Valdez
Total/Q4: $47,246 in 330 contributions (declared candidacy in November)
Valdez, a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, announced this week he was ending his run for mayor. Total includes no in-kind contributions or loans.
6) Trinidad Rodriguez
Total/Q4: $40,812 in 325 contributions (declared candidacy in November)
Rodriguez worked in finance for decades, including at D.A. Davidson & Co. and George K. Baum & Co., according to his LinkedIn. Total includes $5,000 in loans from Rodriguez to his campaign.
7) Debbie Ortega
Q4: $39,477
Total: $88,554 in about 715 contributions
Ortega has been an at-large member of the Denver City Council since 2011. Total includes $950 in in-kind contributions and no loans.
8) Lisa Calderon
Total/Q4: $26,357 in 474 contributions (declared candidacy in October)
Calderon runs Emerge Colorado, which recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office. She previously worked as chief of staff to Denver Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca and placed third in the 2019 mayoral race. Total includes no in-kind contributions or loans.
9) Andre Rougeot
Q4: $7,852 plus a $250,000 loan from Rougeot
Total: $32,526 in about 85 contributions, plus $500,000 in loans from Rougeot
Rougeot is an Army veteran who runs RG Maintenance, a company that fixes gates and keypads for self-storage facilities across Colorado, according to his website. Total includes $604 in in-kind contributions and $500,000 in loans from Rougeout to his campaign.
10) Ean Tafoya
Q4: $7,450
Total: $29,097 in about 750 contributions
Tafoya works for national nonprofit GreenLatinos, according to his LinkedIn. Total includes $761 in in-kind contributions and a $2,000 loan from Tafoya.
11) Terrance Roberts
Q4: $3,307
Total: $20,481 in about 550 contributions
Roberts is a civil rights activist and former gang member, and the central figure in the 2021 book “The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun And The Struggle To Save an American Neighborhood.” Total includes $821 in in-kind contributions and no loans.
