Colorado 3rd district sees $3 million spending gap

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee designated Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District as a top target in early October. The move was intended to trigger spending from other liberal groups to help Dwayne Romero unseat incumbent Republican Representative Jeff Hurd. That influx of capital has not materialized.

As of Monday, more than $3 million has been spent to benefit Hurd in the district. A large portion of that total came from super PACs tied to President Donald Trump. The Safety & Affordability PAC reported spending approximately $1 million on October 19 for television ads attacking Romero. In contrast, independent expenditures supporting Romero have reached only about $15,000 through Monday morning, according to data from OpenSecrets and a Colorado Sun analysis.

The House Majority PAC, a group linked to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, began airing ads on Tuesday. These spots criticize Hurd for his ties to Trump, particularly regarding the war in Iran, before promoting Romero’s military service. The group plans to use roughly $300,000 of the $1 million in reserved ad time for the district. The remaining funds are being redirected to the 8th Congressional District to support Democrat Manny Rutinel against Representative Gabe Evans.

Candidate fundraising also favors Hurd. He has raised and spent approximately $4 million on his reelection bid. This total includes about $1 million from PACs connected to House Speaker Mike Johnson. Romero has raised and spent about $1.5 million, a figure that includes $460,000 he loaned to his own campaign. Romero also had to spend a portion of his funds winning a contested primary in June.

Adam Frisch, a local Democrat who ran in the district in 2022 and 2024, noted the financial disparity. “It’s just hard to get money to show up here,” Frisch said. He suggested that if Romero loses by a narrow margin, the lack of outside spending could be viewed as a decisive factor. Seth Masket, a political science professor at the University of Denver, described the situation as a flip side of the party’s current position. “The Democratic Party is not particularly rich,” Masket said. “They have more opportunities than they can afford to compete in.”

Romero’s campaign stated in a written release that Republican groups are trying to support Hurd’s struggling bid. Hurd, who previously clashed with Trump over tariff policies, has regained the president’s backing. Trump-tied PACs have spent a combined $2.5 million in the district. Hurd has won praise from some Democratic figures, including Senator Michael Bennet, during his failed gubernatorial run this year.

The DCCC released a poll on Friday showing Romero leading Hurd by one percentage point. The margin of error indicates the race is effectively tied. No independent polling has been publicly released. The last Democrat to hold the seat was John Salazar, who served from 2005 to 2011.