Messenger: Teachers for Kennedy

Candidate: Jared Polis

Contest: Governor

Affiliation: D

Date delivered: June 2, 2018

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Message type: mailer

Message tone: negative

About the message: This mailer from the super PAC Teachers for Kennedy attacks U.S. Rep. Jared Polis for supporting a private school voucher proposal when he was on the state board of education. It cites an op-ed he wrote for the Rocky Mountain News in 2003.

The claim is similar to one made by the super PAC in a TV ad, a claim KDVR has concluded is misleading. KDVR notes that Polis has voted against voucher programs in the past and has an "A" rating from the National Education Association.

About the messenger: Teachers for Kennedy is an independent expenditure committee, the Colorado equivalent of a super PAC that can take unlimited donations and spend unlimited amounts without coordinating with a candidate. It is supporting Democrat Cary Kennedy in the four-way June 26 primary gubernatorial primary.

The messenger's money: Teachers for Kennedy received $619,000 from the NEA Advocacy Fund and another $400,000 came from the Colorado Fund for Children and Public Education, both teachers unions.

The group also received $800,000 came from Women Vote!, a super PAC run by Emily’s List. Colorado donors include Laurie Michaels, of Woody Creek, and Judi Wagner, of Littleton, at $50,000 each. And $228,,000 came from Love Colorado, another state-level independent spending group supporting Democratic women.