2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Matthew Cavanaugh?
The money.
- Raised
- $165K
- Spent
- $165K
- Cash on hand
- $0
- Individuals 79% $131K
- PACs & other committees 4% $7,000
- Candidate's own money & loans 16% $27K
Campaign totals through Sep 30, 2026.
No independent expenditures for or against this filing are itemized in the bulk file.
Largest direct PAC contributions
- TIMBER PAC $5,000
- COMMITTEE TO ELECT JARED GOLDEN $2,000
- BDA PAC $658
Who gave.
Who gives $131K from individuals
5% in small-dollar gifts
$6,929 of $131K came unitemized: from donors whose gifts to the campaign this cycle total $200 or less, whom the campaign does not have to name.
The itemized gifts below add up to $89K of the $124K the campaign reported itemizing through Sep 30, 2026. The FEC has not yet processed the rest into its bulk file, which runs to Mar 30, 2026 for this campaign.
30% from Colorado · 70% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address; $500 had no usable state. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
Top states
- Colorado $27K
- Washington $12K
- Michigan $9,500
- Minnesota $9,350
- Connecticut $8,500
- Florida $7,500
- New Mexico $3,500
- Texas $2,250
Top employers named by donors
- US ARMY $1,952
Employers as donors wrote them on the form. A company listed here did not give this money; people who work there did.
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $44K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $43K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Sep 30, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Oct 15, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026, net of refunds (101 entries). Every itemized contribution on FEC.gov ↗
From the principal campaign committee's FEC reports; joint-fundraising transfers and later reports are not included, and no donor is named here. A contribution is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Outside money in the final weeks.
No 24- or 48-hour report in the FEC file read November 4, 2026 names Matthew Cavanaugh.
Where it went.
Where the money went $129K in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $129K of the $165K the campaign reported spending through Sep 30, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Jun 8, 2026.
- Advertising & outreach 32% $41K
- Consultants & strategy 7% $8,500
- Fundraising & processing fees 26% $33K
- Polling, research & data 3% $3,775
- Travel, meals & events 0.7% $918
- Office, technology & overhead 0.2% $307
- Legal & compliance 30% $39K
- Other or unclassified 2% $2,500
Largest payees
- CAPITAL MESSAGE AND MEDIA $38K
- TOUCHSTONE $33K
- JFL CONSULTING LLC $8,750
- TAILWIND PARTNERS $6,500
- BLUE WAVE POLITICAL PARTNERS $4,190
Paid to individuals: $27K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Oct 20, 2025 to Jun 8, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (77 entries). Every payment on FEC.gov ↗
Grouped by each campaign's own description of the payment, so the groups are approximate. Payments of $200 or less to one payee need not be itemized, detail filed only as memo entries counts under other or unclassified, and spending by the candidate's other committees or by outside groups is not included. A payment is not evidence of a favor or wrongdoing.
Others who filed for this seat.
- Jessica Willow KillinDemocrat · $5.5M raised · $801 outside
- Jeff CrankRepublican · $2.2M raised · $815K outside
- Joseph F ReaganDemocrat · $289K raised
- Jamey Lee SmithDemocrat · $50K raised
- Zurit Zuriel HorowitzDemocrat · $31K raised
- Christopher Douglas MitchellConstitution · $210 raised
- Roy MatthewsonIndependent · $200 raised
- River GassenDemocrat · $0 raised
Questions worth asking.
Money shows who backed a campaign, not how a person will act. Compare it with what they did and said: their votes or official actions if they have held office, their own statements, and their answers to a finding. Use the same questions for every candidate.
FEC bulk data read November 4, 2026. Campaign totals come from each filing's own FEC summary through its latest processed report. Outside spending is independent expenditures itemized in committee reports in the FEC bulk files, primaries included; late 24- and 48-hour reports, party coordinated spending, communication costs and groups that do not report to the FEC are not included. Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate, and it is not the candidate's money. A contribution or expenditure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing. This page identifies the filing by its FEC candidate ID; a person can hold more than one filing.