Here's which Fort Collins City Council candidates are bringing in the most campaign money
With four days until Election Day, campaign finance reports filed by Friday's deadline show how much money Fort Collins City Council candidates are raising and spending.
The District 4 race, in southwest Fort Collins, has drawn the most money. More than $45,000 has flowed in to support candidates Shirley Peel and Melanie Potyondy.
Peel has the biggest campaign account of any candidate in any City Council race this year, at $23,745, which includes $5,515 of her own money.
Mayor Jeni Arndt received $22,395. She did not contribute to her own campaign.
Potyondy is third, with $21,510. That includes $761 of her own money.
All campaign contributions across all council races total $118,228 from more than 1,650 contributions so far.
2023 Fort Collins voter guide: What to know about Fort Collins, PSD, statewide races
In the mayor's race, contributions of up to $100 per individual or LLC are allowed. In the council district races, contributions are limited to $75. Political parties cannot contribute.
Below are the contributions received by campaigns so far this election, as of Nov. 1, with figures rounded to the nearest dollar.
Mayor's race
Total: $24,752
Jeni Arndt: She has received $22,395 in monetary campaign contributions and spent $20,329, including $1,185 in returned donations. Arndt received about 250 contributions, with about 60% of those coming from Fort Collins residents.
Patricia Babbitt: She received $2,357 in contributions, including $100 of her own. She has spent $1,699, including about $7 in returned contributions. She received 30 contributions, and 93% of them came from Fort Collins residents.
District 2
Total: $27,465
Eric Hamrick: He received $13,025 in monetary contributions and spent $11,591, including $150 in returned donations. He loaned his campaign $4,000. He received about 130 monetary contributions, including his own. Of those, 91% were from Fort Collins residents.
Julie Pignataro: She received $14,440 in monetary contributions and spent $8,966, including $50 in returned donations. She received about 230 contributions, and 73% were from Fort Collins residents.
District 4
Total: $45,255
Shirley Peel: She received $23,745, including $5,515 of her own money, $5,000 of which was a loan. She spent $18,617, including $400 in returned donations. She received about 265 contributions, and 54% of those were from Fort Collins residents.
Melanie Potyondy: She received $21,510 in monetary contributions and spent $14,245, including $10 in returned donations. She contributed $761 to her own campaign. She received about 430 contributions, and 62% were from Fort Collins residents.
District 6
Total: $20,756
Alexander Adams: Adams received $8,243, including $270 of his own money, and spent $6,929, including $125 in returned donations. He has received 157 contributions, and 45% of those are from Fort Collins residents.
Emily Francis: She received $12,513 in monetary contributions and spent $11,691. She received about 185 contributions, and 87% were from Fort Collins residents.
Notable endorsements of City Council candidates
In addition to knowing how much money is flowing into campaigns and from where, some voters find it's useful to know who is endorsing candidates.
We compiled information on key endorsements, though this list doesn't include every one.
ARNDT: YIMBY Fort Collins, state Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, state Rep. Cathy Kipp, Poudre Education Association, U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, former U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, CSU student body president Nick DeSalvo
BABBITT: Preserve Fort Collins, Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety & the Environment
HAMRICK: Sierra Club, Preserve Fort Collins, Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety & the Environment, State Sen. Joann Ginal, former City Council member Ross Cunniff, former Mayor pro-tem Gina Janett, former City Council member David Roy, Save the Poudre Executive Director Gary Wockner, former City Council member Lisa Poppaw, former Larimer County commissioner Karen Wagner
PIGNATARO: YIMBY Fort Collins, Poudre Education Association, Climate Cabinet Action, CIRC Action Fund, U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, Larimer County commissioners Kristin Stephens, John Kefalas and Jody Shadduck-McNally, state Sen. Janice Marchman, state Reps. Andrew Boesenecker and Cathy Kipp, former District 2 candidate Sean McCoy
PEEL: On her website, statements of support come from former Fort Collins Mayor Ray Martinez, CSU student body president Nick DeSalvo
POTYONDY: YIMBY Fort Collins, Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety & the Environment, Poudre Education Association, Climate Cabinet Action, CO Working Families Party, CO Immigrant Rights Coalition Action Fund, former U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, former state Sen. Bob Bacon, state Sen. Janice Marchman, state Rep. Cathy Kipp, state Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, former state Rep. Randy Fischer, Larimer County commissioners John Kefalas, Jody Shadduck-McNally and Kristin Stephens
ADAMS: The Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety & the Environment withdrew its earlier endorsement of him.
FRANCIS: YIMBY Fort Collins, Poudre Education Association, Climate Cabinet Action, CIRC Action Fund, Colorado Working Families Party, U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, state Reps. Andrew Boesenecker and Cathy Kipp, Larimer County commissioners Kristin Stephens, Jody Shadduck-McNally and John Kefalas, Save The Poudre Executive Director Gary Wockner
Chamber of Commerce scorecard
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce isn't providing candidate endorsements, but it did release a candidate scorecard to show how each candidate aligns with 10 of its priorities.
The chamber, which advocates for businesses, considered stances on the following 10 topics: minimum wage, 1041 powers, transport investments, regionalism, housing attainability, budget priorities, business friendly, water storage creation, land use code adoption and willingness to consider modification to the U+2 residential housing occupancy ordinance.
Candidates were graded as either aligning, misaligning or showing a mix of alignment.
Peel aligned with all of the chamber's policies, and was the only candidate with a full row of green X's on the chamber's chart.
Arndt received green marks for her alignment with all but one policy: 1041 powers, where she was marked as showing a mix of alignment.
Three other candidates aligned with 4 of the 10 chamber policies: Francis, Pignataro and Potyondy.
Adams and Babbitt aligned on one priority, while Hamrick aligned on none.
You can find the scorecard on the chamber's website.
Editor's note: This story has a correction. In the District 2 race, the Larimer Alliance endorsed Eric Hamrick.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins City Council candidates file campaign finance reports
