As of October 28, Ballotpedia identified $1.01 billion in contributions to support or oppose statewide measures on ballots in 2022. Colorado was among the top five states with the most ballot measure campaign contributions.
According to campaign finance reports due on October 31, which covered information through October 26, 15 committees supporting and opposing eight of the 11 measures on the ballot raised a combined $41.46 million and spent a combined $40.96 million.
Of the 15 committees, three were registered as committees opposing five of the measures. These committees raised $1.1 million. Keeping Colorado Local is a committee opposing all three alcohol initiatives on the November ballot.
The top donors to Colorado initiative campaigns this year included:
- Colorado Fine Wine & Spirits LLC, which gave $11.59 million, and Robert and David Trone, who gave $1.8 million to Colorado Consumer Choice and Retail Fairness supporting Proposition 124 to expand retail liquor licenses;
- Several grocery store companies gave $11.59 million to Wine in Grocery Stores, which supports Propositions 125 and 126 to allow wine sales in grocery stores and allow third-party delivery of alcohol. The companies included InstaCart ($4.36 million), DoorDash ($3.58 million), Target ($1.2 million), Albertsons Safeway ($1.36 million), and Kroger ($1.07 million).
- New Approach PAC, which gave $3.89 million to Natural Medicine Colorado, which supports Proposition 122 to create a psychedelic plant and fungi access program; and
- Gary Ventures Inc. and Gary Community Advocacy, which gave $2.55 million to Coloradans for Affordable Housing Now, which supports Proposition 123 to implement funding for housing projects through existing tax revenue.
In total, campaigns for six initiatives spent a combined $7.36 million on signature-gathering costs to put their initiatives on the ballot. The Wine in Grocery Stores PAC, which sponsored Proposition 125 and Proposition 126, paid Scotch Strategies $50,000 for the purpose of signature gathering. The PAC reported $3.19 million in expenditures to various entities for the purpose of consultant and professional services, which can include signature-gathering expenditures. Ballotpedia could not determine whether those additional expenditures were signature-gathering costs.
The next campaign finance report for Colorado ballot measure committees is due on December 13.
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