Don’t worry, you’ll get your 2025 flyers and mailers soon enough, but if you read this post you’ll know more about who paid for them!

Those who don’t follow Boulder politics closely might get confused by the different political groups. Who are they? What do they stand for? And why are so many of the group names so similar?

I’m not writing this post to announce my new organization, “Boulder Nihilists.” Nobody would care. Instead, there are brief paragraphs about some of the top groups, who might endorse City Council candidates or even raise money that might go toward expenses like literature.

Oh, you care about the money? Groups that form an Unofficial Candidate Committee (UCC) can spend unlimited amounts of money to benefit their candidates, but they must disclose the names of donors, and individual donations to UCCs are limited to $100. If a group or individual forms an Independent Expenditure Committee (IEC), they can spend unlimited amounts of money PLUS they don’t have to disclose any names beyond the name of the IEC and a point person.

I intend to follow how much money the groups below take in and spend on both UCCs and IECs, and I will update everything below if I learn more about money or endorsements. I’m also including links to organization websites in part because voters might be interested in checking out who’s on various boards of directors for greater perspective. Or not.

Those With Boulder in Their Name

PLAN-Boulder County was formed in 1959, and it’s been influential in local politics since then. It’s been best known for supporting Open Space protection and land use issues, along with slow growth or smart growth when it comes to new development, however one defines either. It supported or led many local efforts of the past, including the Blue Line, many Open Space ballot measures, the building height limit and more. This year, it’s endorsing Kaplan, Wallach, and Robins, plus it gave an honorable mention to Rose. https://www.planboulder.org/

Better Boulder is about a decade old. It’s often associated with Boulder’s business community, and has supported increased development in Boulder. Over the years, both Better Boulder and PLAN-Boulder have used the phrase “smart growth,” but Better’s development goals have probably been bigger. It’s taken policy positions including eliminating/reducing parking minimums, allowing duplexes/triplexes on single-family-zoned parcels, and a state bill that ended occupancy limits. It endorsed Folkerts, Speer, Benjamin, and Wallach in 2025. https://betterboulder.com/

Open Boulder is about a decade old. In 2025, its focus includes city financial responsibility, affordability for residents and small businesses, and community safety. However, in the past it has supported electoral measures like term limits for Council members, and has advocated for greater public access to Open Space lands. In recent election years it has endorsed nearly or exactly similar to Better Boulder or Boulder Progressives, but it endorsed Robins, Kaplan, Benjamin, and Wallach in 2025.

Boulder Progressives is just more than a half-decade old. It supports issues and topics including more housing development, alternative transportation modes, a less enforcement-based approach to homelessness, and more. It’s been associated with supporting ballot measures to move local elections to even-numbered years and modify housing occupancy limits, and opposing the Safe Zones ballot measure that prioritized enforcing camping near local paths and schools. It’s been successful in recent Council elections, endorsing a large number of candidates who earned seats. It endorsed Folkerts, Speer, and Benjamin in 2025.

  • Boulder Progressives’ UCC has reported $2,800.00 in donations as of Oct. 30, and it has reported a separate 501(c)(4) IEC expenditure of $1,717.54. https://www.boulderprogressives.org/

Boulder Elevated is about two years old. It supports collaborative governance, and wants to create a community that’s “livable, attainable, and sustainable.” Policy positions include support for more affordable housing, local land use control, sheltering the unhoused but considering if treatment is needed for behavioral health or substance abuse, and addressing the climate crisis. It endorsed Wallach and Robins in 2025. https://boulderelevated.com/

Boulder Action is a relatively new organization, but the main citizen drivers of the group appear to be long-time Boulder locals who have been involved with other groups and efforts. Boulder Action supports issues including limiting growth and density, enhancing public safety, protecting open lands, and opposition to what it sees as progressive over-dominance on Council. It endorsed Kaplan, Robins, and Wallach. https://boulderaction.org/

Engage Boulder has been involved in Boulder politics going back at least close to a decade. It’s typically associated with Dan Caruso, co-founder and former CEO of the fiber company Zayo. This year, Engage is working toward electing a Council it sees as more “balanced” than the past few “progressive” Councils. It endorsed Wallach, Robins, Kaplan, and Benjamin. https://www.engageboulder.com/

Safer Boulder was formed in 2015, and as the name suggests it has been concerned about crime and threats to public safety in Boulder, and supports solutions “beyond only reactionary policy” to ensure better public safety locally. It has endorsed Wallach, Kaplan, and Robins. https://www.saferboulderco.org/

Boulder Democratic Socialists of America is affiliated with the national Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Among other issues, it says it’s working to create a “coalition of left and left-leaning housing, mutual aid, immigrant rights, and anti-war organizations.” It endorsed Folkerts in 2025. https://www.boulderdsa.org/

Boulder Area Labor Council is a labor council of AFL-CIO. It represents the interests of working people, social and economic justice, and opposes oppression based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or other categories. It endorsed Lord, Rose, Folkerts, and Speer in 2025. https://coaflcio.org/boulder-area-labor-council-afl-cio

Veterans for Peace Boulder Chapter 120 is “an international organization made up of military veterans, and non-veterans” which has 120 chapters, including this one in Boulder. It has endorsed Stone. https://www.facebook.com/bouldervfp120/

Some Don’t Have Boulder in Their Title! 

Sierra Club Indian Peaks Group is affiliated with the national Sierra Club, but has its own local elected leadership that determines its issue and candidate endorsements. The Sierra Club in general has long been associated with environmental and land protection, but over the past few election cycles IPG has been endorsing more in line with Better Boulder, Boulder Progressives, or “The Coalition” as opposed to the PLAN-Boulder commonality it used to have. This could be in part out of a belief that more housing in Boulder could favorably impact environmental issues like transportation and greenhouse gas emissions.

New Era Colorado is best known as a youth voting advocacy organization, and they’ve been active on campuses or off-campus communities statewide including at and around CU-Boulder. The organization has put up strong numbers over the years on voter registration drives, and its current “Youth Agenda” focuses on issues including climate justice, reproductive rights, student debt, and more. Its New Era Action Fund endorsed Speer, Folkerts, and Rose in 2025.

  • New Era has filed with the city for an IEC, and on Oct. 9 reported an expenditure of $4,390.05, and on Oct. 15 reported an expenditure of $116.13, and on Oct. 20 reported an expenditure of $1,200, and on Oct. 23 reported an expenditure of $154.99, and on Oct. 28 reported an expenditure of $250.00, and on Oct. 31 reported an expenditure of $200.00, for a total of $6,851.12. https://neweracoloradoaction.org/

Stop Antisemitism Colorado uses political action to support Colorado’s Jewish community and its causes, as well as to oppose candidates or issues that they believe might be harmful to the Jewish community and its causes. It has endorsed Wallach, Kaplan, Speer, Robins, and Benjamin in 2025 (reminder, voters can only vote for up to four total candidates).

  • Stop Antisemitism Colorado has filed with the city for an IEC, and reported an expenditure of $4,500.00 on Oct. 9 along with an expenditure of $1,689.80 on Oct. 20, for a total of $6,189.80. https://www.stopantisemitismco.org/

State Senator Judy Amabile filed with the city for an IEC, and on Oct. 29 reported an expenditure of $317.40.

Colorado Black Women for Political Action was formed to encourage African-American participation in the political process and serve as a political advocate for the African-American community. It endorsed Speer in 2025. https://cbwpa.org/

Moms Demand Action works toward public safety measures, including legislation, to protect people from gun violence. It offered several candidates “candidate distinctions,” and does not use the word “endorsement.” These candidates are Robins, Wallach, Benjamin, Kaplan, and Speer.  https://momsdemandaction.org/

Colorado Working Families Party is affiliated with the national Working Families Party. It supports issues from a left-wing point of view including labor, diversity, resistance to a “rigged” economy that favors the wealthy, and more. Those who followed the 2023 Boulder election might remember that WFP spent money on mailers attacking Mayoral candidate Bob Yates. In 2025, WFP endorsed Speer and Folkerts. https://workingfamilies.org/state/colorado/

Planned Parenthood Votes offers approvals to candidates who support reproductive rights. It approved Kaplan, Folkerts, Wallach, Benjamin, Stone, Speer, and Lord in 2025. https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/

Colorado Blueflower Fund supports women running for state and local office in Colorado who are pro-choice and small-p progressive. It has endorsed Robins and Speer. https://www.coloradoblueflowerfund.org/

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund supports “increasing the number of out LGBTQ+ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve.” It has endorsed Speer. https://victoryfund.org/

Communications Workers of America CO/WY is a union that supports workers in communications fields, as well as in the airline industry, public service, higher education, health care, manufacturing, high tech fields, and more. It has endorsed Speer. http://www.cwa7777.org/index.cfm

Center for Freedom and Justice Colorado says its mission is to, in part, raise public awareness of Beit Ummar, a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank. It has endorsed Stone. https://www.cfjcolorado.org/

Axiom Action has filed with the city for an IEC, but as of Oct. 21 no financial information was posted on the city elections website. I don’t know what the organization stands for and won’t guess, but will update if I learn more.

Maybe there are some organizations I’ve missed, but this can’t be too bad of a start!