Lisa Calderón Becomes First Denver Mayoral Candidate to Receive FairElection Funds
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2026
Lisa Calderón Becomes First Denver Mayoral Candidate to Receive Fair Election Funds
Dr. Lisa Calderón, a progressive candidate for mayor of Denver, has become the first candidate in the 2027 mayoral race to receive funds through Denver’s Fair Elections Fund. After being the first mayoral candidate to qualify for the fund, the initial disbursement of funds was issued this week, bringing her fundraising totals to over $120,000.
Dr. Calderón’s fundraising totals come from donations by over 500 Denver voters representing nearly every zip code in the city. "This is a campaign by, and for the people of Denver," said Calderón. "Hundreds of neighbors — from our Westside communities to Northeast Denver to the heart of downtown — are invested in this vision for our city. That kind of support tells us that Denver is eager for change."
The scale and breadth of donors to Dr. Calderón’s campaign allowed her to quickly qualify for the Fair Election Fund based on the requirement that candidates secure 250 donations from Denver voters. As of today, no other mayoral candidates have qualified for the Fair Election Fund.
According to city records, Dr. Calderón has more than 8 times as many donors as Mayor Mike Johnston, who announced his plans for re-election this month. In 2023, LinkedIn billionaire Reid Hoffman and a handful of out-of-state donors helped bankroll Mayor Johnston’s $6 million campaign - with 67% of his donors coming from people who don’t live here.
Dr. Calderón has also raised more funds than any other candidate in the race — and has the campaign infrastructure to win a citywide election. “People are hungry for new leadership that they know they can trust to make real change, not just empty promises,” stated Calderón. “Denverites believe that the city we all love deserves better.” Once elected, she will not only be the first woman, but the first mayor out of the last seven born and raised in Denver.
About Dr. Lisa Calderón
Dr. Lisa Calderón is a longtime community advocate, policy leader, and former mayoral candidate who narrowly missed the 2023 runoff by less than 2%. She is not accepting corporate PAC money, and not seeking endorsements from organizations tied to dark‐money networks. She is committed to building a Denver that works for working families, laborers, and small businesses. Her campaign is powered by grassroots supporters across the city.