Buerger versus Catlin
As of Monday, nearly $2 million had flooded into the election for Senate District 5, a toss-up race that could determine whether Democrats will gain supermajorities in both legislative chambers. If achieved, dual supermajorities would allow the party to override vetoes from the governor and make strides toward fundamentally changing the Colorado Constitution.
Republicans are currently only one seat away from being a super minority in the state Senate. With staggered elections and most districts lacking much competition, the party has limited opportunities to regain power.
Senate District 5, which spans from Glenwood Springs through the Roaring Fork Valley down to Hinsdale County, will be represented by either Republican state Rep. Marc Catlin or Democrat Cole Buerger.
In support of Catlin, the Senate Majority Fund has spent $1.2 million in the race, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The group, which supports Republican candidates running for state Senate in Colorado, received its largest donation this election cycle from GOPAC Election Fund, a federal political organization based in Virginia that aims to get Republicans elected to state legislatures.
All Together Colorado, the Senate Democrats campaign arm, has spent about $650,000 in support of Buerger. That group’s largest contributions this cycle have come from Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood and Sixteen Thirty Fund, a political nonprofit based in Washington that supports liberal candidates.
