Over the course of my campaign, I have learned a lot about how others view government. Not just politics, but also the role of local government in our lives, how it has changed over the years, and what it should look like.
A big topic of conversation in this race is campaign finances. Below are the basics of campaign fundraising.
To start, check out the CO Secretary of State webpage on Campaign Finance: https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/CampaignFinance/home.html
Who can donate to a campaign?
Anyone can donate to a campaign as long as the campaign has a committee.
What is a campaign committee?
My campaign sign, with the required disclaimer
A campaign committee allows the candidate to fundraise and receive donations.
My committee is called Jeremy D. Krones for District 3. I am the Registered Agent for my committee. A registered agent is someone who has the legal and fiduciary responsibility of the organization or entity. Other candidates might have someone else be their committee’s registered agent.
With some exceptions, any marketing materials produced by the committee needs to have a disclaimer stating the name of the committee which paid for the materials and the committee’s registered agent.
If you see a campaign sign without a disclaimer or find another violation of the rules, you can file a complaint with the Secretary of State: https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/CampaignFinance/forms/CPF_COMP.pdf
Does every campaign have a committee?
No. When a candidate runs their own campaign without a committee, they are called a “standalone candidate.” That means they can’t accept donations and are paying for the campaign out of their own pocket.
What is the maximum donation amount?
Every race and category of donor has a different limit. For a “natural person” donating to a county commissioner candidate, the maximum is $1,425. You can see all of the different limits here: https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/CampaignFinance/limits/contributions.html
How are campaign donations tracked?
You can see a campaign’s income and expenses by visiting https://tracer.sos.colorado.gov, the official finance disclosure site hosted by the Colorado Secretary of State. To find a candidate or committee’s finances, click on “Search Database” and follow the instructions.
If you want to read more, here is the Campaign and Political Finance Manual for Colorado candidates.
