Adam Frisch campaign finds fortune in 81611 in bid to upset Lauren Boebert
David Zalubowski/AP
Adam Frisch’s campaign for Congress raised approximately $208,500 from individual donors with Aspen addresses from January through September, which accounted for nearly 10% of his overall contributions during that period, based on filings with the Federal Elections Commission.
The 81611 ZIP code generated $192,625 for the Frisch campaign, which is more than the national annual average of $120,752 in federal campaign donations per ZIP code, according to the nonprofit organization Open Secrets, which examines federal campaign contributions and expenditures. Aspen residents with 81612 on their mailing address, which is exclusively for Aspen post office boxes, gave $15,875 to the Frisch campaign.
All told, $4.04 million had been injected into federal campaigns this year from residents living in the 81611 ZIP code — 33 1/2 times greater than the national average, according to Open Secrets.
Rep. Lauren Boebert has labeled Frisch, a former city councilman, as “Aspen Adam” because of the town’s liberal reputation, which was reflected in the November 2020 election results when the firebrand conservative from Silt received 24% of the vote in Pitkin County, compared to Democratic opponent Diane Mitsch Bush’s 73.6%.
A newcomer to politics, Boebert still won the general election that year with 51.4% of the votes cast — 220,634.
Pitkin County, while known as a liberal stronghold, has more registered voters who are unaffiliated than those aligned with the Democratic and Republican parties, according to the latest available data from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
Of the 15,361 registered voters in Pitkin County, 7,867 held no political party affiliation as of Oct. 1. That figure tops the combined number of registered Democrats(5,216) and Republicans (2,000) in Pitkin County, according to the Secretary of State.
Frisch through Sept. 30 had raised $2.12 million in contributions, which does not count the $2.2 million that Frisch personally lent to his war chest, based on FEC reports that also showed Boebert received $5.76 million in contributions through Sept. 30. The July-through-September quarter was the most lucrative for the Frisch campaign, drawing $1.68 million.
Boebert hasn’t found Aspen residents to be as generous to her campaign as they have been to Frisch’s. FEC records show she had raised $20,950 through Sept. 30.
Boebert’s financial supporters in Aspen include Maurice Emmer, who like Frisch once ran for Aspen mayor and lost. The Sefton couple, Harley and Maryanne, gave respective amounts of $5,700 and $2,900 to the Boebert campaign, records show.
Frisch contributors include Robert and Soledad Hurst, of the Hurst Family Foundation and the Robert & Soledad Hurst Foundation, as well as Robert Hurst’s daughter from another marriage, Amanda Hirsh and her husband, Bret. All of them gave individual amounts of $2,900. Philanthropists John and Jessica Fullerton also each gave $2,900, which is the cap on individual contributions per election.
The FEC considers the June primary and November general elections as separate elections.
Frisch reported having $761,609 cash on hand as of Sept. 30, while Boebert had $1.9 million in her campaign coffers, according to FEC data.
