Messenger: Colorado Republican Committee

Candidate: John Hickenlooper

Contest: U.S. Senate

Affiliation: D

Date delivered: Oct. 1, 2020

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Message type: mailer

Message tone: negative

About the message:

This one in a series of mailers targeting Democratic Senate candidate and former Gov. John Hickenlooper for raising taxes or supporting tax increases while he was Denver mayor and governor.

The mailer cites tax hikes made when Hickenlooper was governor, but the footnote identified tax initiatives, which must be approved by voters in Colorado, from 2005 and 2007. Hickenlooper didn't take office until 2011. The 2005 initiatives came from Republican Gov. Bill Owens. And voters must approve any tax increases, which didn't occur while Hickenlooper was governor.

Hickenlooper is challenging Republican Sen. Cory Gardner.

About the messenger:

The Colorado Republican Committee is the federal fundraising arm of the Colorado GOP.

The messenger's money:

This federal political party committee may take up to $10,000 per year from individual donors. Most of the party's money in 2024 came from $20,000 to $40,000 fees charged to presidential candidates to get on the ballot and a joint fundraiser with other national Republican committees.