Kelly Brough and Mike Johnston raised more than $820,000 in contributions last month, as both candidates for mayor of Denver had nearly equal totals.
In total, Johnston raised $418,403 in April, and Brough raised $405,903. The candidates had their best month in individual contributions so far, as the field narrowed from 16 to two after the general election last month.
Source: Denver Elections Division
Johnston had a bigger month in direct fundraising, about $265,000 in contributions, to Brough's $218,000. But Brough got a larger Fair Elections Fund check: $187,500. Johnston, meanwhile, received $153,385 from the city.
"A lot more people are paying attention now to the race," said Johnston. "Obviously a lot of voters who didn't participate in round one or weren't sure, and many who supported other candidates are now supporting us. And so for us it feels representative of a real sense of momentum we feel in every facet of the campaign."
Brough said the fundraising totals also show the momentum she has.
Brough saw her April fundraising grow quickly once it was confirmed she made the runoff, and grew as the month wore on. "Which is so energizing, for the entire team and all the supporters, but certainly for me as a candidate," she added.
People are more engaged, Brough said, noting that they're asking questions, requesting yard signs, and writing checks.
"So I'm kind of loving how it's working, but there's no question I'm hustling, man," she said.
The candidates used the end of the month deadlines as a powerful driver for people to contribute, and April 30 was the biggest single fundraising day of the month, by far, with Johnston raising $35,000 and Brough $21,000.
Johnston continued his trend of fundraising outside of Colorado, with more than a third of his April contributions coming from out of state, about $91,000 in total.
Brough raised more in-state contributions, but about $60,000 came from cities outside of Denver, including Englewood, Greenwood Village, and Cherry Hills Village.
"I think about employees who may not live in the city, but work downtown every single day," said Brough. "And how much they care about our city. Or how somebody could see if our downtown isn't strong or Denver isn't successful, it impacts the entire region. Some might even argue the state."
Johnston and Brough were the biggest fundraisers in the first round of voting, and they both benefited from well-funded outside groups, known as independent expenditure committees.
Despite the large fundraising totals in April, neither candidate spent much.
Brough's campaign spent $163,561 in April on things like payroll, digital ads, and fundraising. Johnston's expenditures totaled $151,563, with much of the spending on yard signs, consulting and payroll. No large TV media buys have been made yet.
"We're raising money as fast as we can," said Johnston. "And being as stingy as we can with how we spend it, we obviously have a great team that we're supporting, and that's our biggest priority. They're the ones out hosting meet and greets and knocking doors and mobilizing volunteers. And so that's our biggest priority now is the team we're building."
But the quiet part of this two-month runoff will soon end. Denver metro residents can expect to see a deluge of TV advertisements from both the candidates and the IEs in the coming weeks.
The election is June 6, and ballots go out May 15.
