Messenger: Better Colorado Now
Candidate: Walker Stapleton
Contest: Governor
Affiliation: R
Date delivered: March 13, 2018
Click here for message
Message type: radio ad
Message tone: informative
About the message: This radio ad from independent spending group Better Colorado Now calls Denver and Aurora sanctuary cities. It says that GOP gubernatorial candidate Walker Stapleton "says sanctuary cities put the rights of criminal illegal immigrants over the rights of American citizens," and that Stapleton will work to "protect Coloradans from dangerous, criminal immigrants."
An Aurora Sentinel news report said the ad is incorrect in mentioning Aurora as a sanctuary city, noting that the City Council voted against that designation last year.
About the messenger:
Better Colorado Now is an independent expenditure group supporting the Republican Treasurer Walker Stapleton's run for governor. The group may raise and spend unlimited amounts, but is not supposed to coordinate with Stapleton.
Stapleton helped raise money for the group before entering the governor’s race last fall.
The messenger's money:
Nonpfrofit Colorado Taxpayers Advocate Fund gave the group $600,000. Other donors to the group include Greg Engles of Whitewave Foods and Extraction Oil and Gas at $50,000 each; Broncos general manager John Elway at $10,000, St. Louis Cardinals Chairman William Dewitt Jr., Geoffrey Lord of Lord Realty, Liberty Global President/CEO Michael Fries and Liberty Media CEO Gregory Maffei at $25,000 each. Also, $15,000 from real estate mogul Larry Mizel, Elizabeth Anschutz for $10,000 and Stapleton cousin Jeb Bush for $1,000.
