State Treasurer Walker Stapleton is dominating the contest for campaign cash in the Colorado governor’s race, even though he raised little to date for his campaign.

Before he announced as a candidate, the Republican helped steer more than $653,000 to a super PAC supporting his campaign and locked down an impressive list of top GOP donors to put $716,000 in the bank.

Stapleton raised just $8,000 for his campaign because he entered the race a week before the fundraising deadline. But he is poised to get a much bigger haul at a November fundraiser hosted by former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan that will feature many of the same donors who gave to the super PAC, Better Colorado Now.

2018 candidates for Colorado governor Who is running for governor of Colorado in 2018? (And who is on the fence?)

His footprint — and unsettled nature of the race — left little money for the other Republican candidates, according to campaign finance reports released this week. District Attorney George Brauchler, the top Republican fundraiser from July through September, raised a meager $99,000, while investment banker Doug Robinson, a nephew of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, managed $75,000.

The Democratic contenders for governor made a far better showing in the most recent fundraising quarter, with all five prominent candidates receiving more than double the top Republican candidate.

Former state Sen. Mike Johnston led the Democratic field, with $725,000 in his account to start October after receiving $321,000 in contributions with most of his top donors from out of state, reports show. And a super PAC supporting his candidacy, Frontier Fairness, raised $300,000 from two wealthy donors, ending the quarter with $246,000 on hand.

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, donated another $370,000 to his campaign, putting his total investment through September at $629,000. Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne raised $374,000 in her first two months in the Democratic primary.

All told, the new reports show the governor’s race is approaching the $10 million mark a year before the 2018 election and foreshadows an expensive contest to come.

Republican Victor Mitchell, who posted $9,000 in donations this quarter, is more insulated from the money troubles of his rivals. He loaned $3 million to his campaign, and $2.3 million remains in the bank, making him the top-funded GOP candidate at the moment.

But the outside money funneling into super PACs that can accept unlimited contributions is expected to define the race — particularly given that candidates can accept a maximum $1,150 campaign contribution.

Better Colorado Now hosted a major fundraiser that featured Stapleton before he announced his bid — a move that drew controversy. But it showcased the bold-faced support for the two-term treasurer who is a member of the Bush family.

The donors included $50,000 from Gregg Engles, the organization’s chairman and a Texas food services executive; $52,500 from Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media companies and the highest paid CEO in the state; $10,000 from Broncos president John Elway; $25,000 from Bill DeWitt, the president of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team; and $1,000 from Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and presidential candidate.

Andy George, the organization’s strategist, called the total just “an early fundraising number … from a committee very dedicated to winning.”

Stapleton is putting his own money into the race, too. Since he began, he has injected $260,000 into his campaign, reports show. His campaign consultant, Michael Fortney, did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday. But Stapleton, in a recent interview, said: “I plan to raise far more than I invest, but I’m in this thing to win it.”

George Brauchler, the 18th Judicial District attorney, mocked the super PAC backing Stapleton on Twitter by linking it to Jeb Bush’s failed political committee, Right to Rise. But a super PAC supporting Brauchler’s candidacy, dubbed Colorado Strong, didn’t receive a single contribution, reports show.

“George Brauchler is not going to win the race for dollars, but he will win the vote, and I feel really good about where things stand in the race,” said Alan Philp, a veteran GOP strategist who leads the committee.

Brauchler and the other GOP candidates are trying to emerge from a crowded pack — one overshadowed by the possible entry of former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a firebrand who would shift the dynamic of the race.

A handful of other Republican candidates are raising little cash. Stephen Barlock, one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal supporters, raised $4,000. He spent $340 at the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival, $178 for a campaign jacket and $1.92 for bubble gum used in an advertising photo shoot.

Staff writer Mark Matthews contributed to this report.

Republican candidates for governor:

Aaron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post George Brauchler, district attorney of the 18th judicial district, poses for a portrait at the Denver Post on Tuesday, April 4, 2017.

John Leyba, The Denver Post file photo Victor Mitchell, a Republican candidate for governor, poses for a profile photo on April 13, 2017 at The Denver Post.

Denver Post file Greg Lopez



Courtesy of Doug Robinson Doug Robinson

AP Photo/David Zalubowski In this photo taken April 13, 2016, Steve Barlock, a supporter of Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, stands near Union Station in Denver. First Barlock discovered he had to join the Republican Party to support Donald Trump in the Colorado GOP caucuses. That was the easy part. What followed was a misadventure that could plague the GOP front-runner in states to come unless Trumps grassroots supporters, often political outsiders themselves, get more help navigating the inside battle for delegates.

The Loveland Reporter-Herald Lew Gaiter



Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post Colorado State Treasurer Walker Stapleton poses in the vault at the Unclaimed Property Division of the Colorado State Treasurer's office in Denver on March 10, 2015.

Democratic candidates for governor: