City and County of Denver, CO

09/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/18/2026 15:02

Five Candidates Receive FEF Disbursements for 2026 Vacancy Election

Five Candidates Receive FEF Disbursements for 2026 Vacancy Election

Published on September 17, 2026

The Denver Clerk & Recorder has authorized $180,189.00 in Fair Elections Fund disbursements to five eligible candidates running in the 2026 City Council At-Large Seat B vacancy election. This is the first disbursement for the 2026 vacancy election and matches eligible contributions received between Aug. 5, 2026 and Aug. 31, 2026.

To qualify for the Fair Elections Fund, candidates needed to collect and submit 100 qualifying contributions between Aug. 5, 2026, and Sept. 4, 2026. Contributions received between Sept. 1 and Sept. 4 count toward program eligibility but will not be matched until the second and final disbursement in October.
August Disbursement: 2026 Vacancy Election
City Council At-Large Seat B
Candidate
Amount Disbursed
Donors Matched
Jake Browne
$20,889.00
101
Monica Martinez
$82,440.00
194
Melissa Mejia
$35,775.00
99
Alfredo Reyes
$33,165.00
95
Whitney Traylor
$7,920.00
31
"The Fair Elections Fund helps give everyday Denver residents a stronger voice in our local elections while providing candidates an opportunity to build campaigns supported by their communities," Chief Deputy City Clerk Andy Szekeres said. "We are excited to see Denverites engaging in this important vacancy election, and our office remains committed to administering the program with transparency, accountability and careful stewardship of public funds."
One additional disbursement is scheduled before the vacancy election on Nov. 3, 2026. Payments are tied to campaign finance reporting deadlines. The next payment will follow the September monthly campaign finance report, which candidates must file by Oct. 5, and will match eligible contributions through Sept. 30, 2026.
For the 2026 vacancy election cycle, City Council At-Large candidates may receive up to $298,365 in Fair Elections Fund payments.
A list of all candidates who have filed for the 2026 vacancy election, along with their Fair Elections Fund status, is available on the Denver Clerk & Recorder website.
Fair Elections Fund Background
The Fair Elections Fund was approved by voters in 2018. It gives greater voice to small donors, reduces the influence of money in politics and encourages broader participation in local elections. The program lowers donation limits for all candidates, bans contributions from businesses and LLCs, and provides public matching funds to qualified candidates.
To qualify, a candidate agrees to the lower contribution limits and must collect 100 qualifying contributions from Denver residents of at least $5, or 250 qualifying contributions for mayoral candidates. Once a candidate qualifies, the first $50 contributed by each Denver resident is matched at a 9-to-1 ratio, meaning a $50 contribution can be matched with up to $450 in public funds.
City Clerk staff audit every contribution and expenditure reported by participating candidates to ensure contributions meet program requirements and public funds are only used for eligible, election-related expenses. All campaign finance reports are available to the public through SearchLight Denver. The Fair Elections Fund is supported through an annual appropriation of $3.43 per Denver resident. Learn more at denvergov.org/fairelectionsfund.
City and County of Denver, CO published this content on September 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 18, 2026 at 21:02 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]