9/25: A small-business identity crisis

Do chambers of commerce really stand up for the best interest of small businesses?

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GJ chamber picks Bradford over Buescher

A Face the State Staff Report

The Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce endorsed Republican challenger Laura Bradford for House District 55 Thursday, a decision she hopes will set a precedent across the state. Bradford is up against Rep. Bernie Buescher, who as chairman of the powerful Joint Budget Committee is one of Colorado’s most powerful Democrats.

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A post-primary campaign finance check-up

A Face the State Staff Report

Since the August 12 primary, unions and third parties have stepped up involvement in Colorado's House and Senate races. Last month saw thousands of union dollars pour into Democrat coffers, translating into fancy mail pieces hitting suburban voting households multiple times each week.

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Campaign update: A look at donations and spending before the primary

A Face the State Staff Report

August 8th Update: With primaries less than a week away, contested partisan races have seen money pour in. Third parties are stepping up involvement in local races, and hard hitting 527 mail is showing up in mailboxes around the state. Meanwhile, candidates are trying to max out their donor lists and hit as many houses as possible before Election Day.

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New campaign finance numbers are in

A Face the State Staff Report

As election day approaches, candidates are now required to report their financial status every two weeks. Contributions and spending are on the rise, which means yards signs will be popping up around the state and voters in targeted districts are going to start seeing a lot of campaign mail.

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Top State Races See Money Roll In

A Face the State Staff Report

The latest campaign finance reports are in. Among the highlights: Significant union contributions are beginning to flow into highly contested districts. Some candidates are beginning to print fliers and send out mail, others have focused efforts on getting their websites up and running, and many are busy knocking on doors. It is clear that election season has arrived, and the money trail helps tell the story.

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June campaign finance update: cash on hand

A Face the State Staff Report

Face The State analyzes the most recent campaign finance filings in the most competitive state legislative districts.

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Mesa County House Race Centers on Mill Levy Debate

A Face the State Staff Report

With a Denver district court judge’s recent ruling that a mill levy freeze amounts to an unconstitutional tax increase, Republicans are hoping the decision will bode well for GOP candidates this November who can point to the fact that all Democrat incumbent lawmakers voted in favor of the tax hike. The mill levy freeze is a particularly sensitive issue in Mesa County, where county commissioners signed on as lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

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Election Preview: House Races to Watch

A Face the State Staff Report

With Democrats heading to Denver this August for their national convention, all eyes will be on western states, including Colorado, as models for how the left can win over conservative and moderate voters here. Republicans now say they are ready to fight back and while the money chase will be tough, leaders say they are putting together a ground game that will, in part, exploit a multitude of fee and tax increases passed by the Democrat-led legislature.

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