State Candidates

Includes:

  • Attorney General
  • CU Regent
  • District Attorney
  • Governor
  • Judicial Retention
  • Regional Transportation District (RTD)
  • Secretary of State
  • State Board of Education
  • State Representative
  • State Senate
  • State Treasurer

Step 1: Are you qualified?

Candidates must meet the basic qualifications for office.

Step 2: Campaign finance laws and rules

Candidates are required to understand and comply with the following provisions:

Step 3: Publicly announce your intent to run for office

Please refer to Campaign Finance Rule 1.18 for a detailed description of what constitutes a public announcement.

Step 4: Register a candidate committee OR are you a standalone candidate?

If you intend to accept contributions, you must register a candidate committee.

If you will not be accepting contributions (only spending your own money) in support of your candidacy you are not required to register a committee and are therefore a standalone candidate.

Step 5: Receive or spend money in support of your candidacy

You become a candidate when you publicly announce your intent to run for office and thereafter receive a contribution or make an expenditure in support of your candidacy.

Unless you are a standalone candidate, you must register a candidate committee before receiving any money.

Step 6: File a candidate affidavit and voluntary spending acceptance, if applicable

Within 10 days of becoming a candidate:

  1. Complete the Candidate Affidavit form, which must be filed electronically. [Section 2(2), article XXVIII of the Colorado Constitution] [1-45-110(1) C.R.S.] [Campaign Finance Rule 2.3]

    The affidavit is an attestation that you are familiar with campaign finance laws and regulations, so be sure to read the laws before submitting.

  2. If applicable, complete the Voluntary Spending Acceptance section of the candidate affidavit. [Section 4(3) and 9(1)(c), article XXVIII of the Colorado Constitution]

    If you choose to accept voluntary spending limits, you must indicate your acceptance on the candidate affidavit at the SAME time as your initial submission of the affidavit.

Step 7: File a personal financial disclosure

Within 10 days of submitting your candidate affidavit:

  1. Complete the Personal Financial Disclosure Statement (PDF)

  2. Mail, hand deliver, or email to:

    Colorado Secretary of State
    Attention: Campaign Finance
    1700 Broadway, Suite 550
    Denver, CO 80290
    cpfhelp@coloradosos.gov

Step 8: File campaign finance disclosure reports

Campaign finance disclosure reports must be filed timely to avoid penalties.

View the filing calendars.