Former Colorado Springs councilwoman Yolanda Avila has a slim lead on spending among candidates for El Paso County commissioner.

Of the two candidates each for Districts 1 and 5, three have raised over $100,000, according to the latest campaign filings. Avila, a Democrat, has raised $113,000 in contributions this election cycle and taken $10,000 in loans. Her campaign has spent $107,000. She and incumbent Republican Lauren Nelson are running for District 5, which encompasses central Colorado Springs.

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Nelson, a former District 11 School Board member, has raised about $100,000 in contributions plus $4,000 in loans. Her campaign has spent about $62,000, with a substantial portion of its funds remaining in the days before the election.

In a similar spending range is the campaign for District 1 Republican candidate Ryan Graham, who has raised $79,000 in contributions and taken $45,000 in loans. The campaign has spent about $103,000 as of the latest filing. District 1 includes north-central El Paso County. Current commissioner Holly Williams is term-limited and not seeking reelection.

The campaign with the smallest financial footprint so far is Democrat Gavin Rainey, who has raised and spent less than $1000 for his District 1 bid.

This year’s District 5 race has seen the most spending by candidates for that office ever, according to the records available from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office that date back to the turn of the millennium. The last time a Democrat outspent a Republican candidate was in 2010, when Michael Merrifield put $50,000 into a campaign against Peggy Littleton.

A Democrat has not served on the El Paso Board of County Commissioners in over 50 years.

Avila’s contributions are mainly small donors, according to campaign finance records. Democratic candidates for nearby and overlapping districts have contributed, including Colorado State Senator Tony Exum, State House District 16 candidate Steph Vigil and Congressional District 5 candidate Jessica Killin.

Avila received a total of $10,000 from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, a committee that endorses candidates that “challenge Big Oil’s influence over our politics and our planet,” according to its website. Avila also received large contributions from committees associated with the Colorado AFL-CIO, the El Paso County Democratic Party and the Colorado State Conference of Electrical Workers.

Lauren Nelson’s campaign received small contributions with a few bigger spenders. The most substantial contribution came from small donor committee Blue Lines Advocates for a combined $14,400. Her filings log contributions from the Realtor Candidate PAC, operated by the National Association of Realtors and the Colorado Springs Housing and Builders Association PFC.

Contributors from the business community include major players in the local development industry. Nelson received $9,400 from people who list an occupation with Vantage Homes and their spouses. She received $6,450 from people who work for Classic Homes and their spouses. JW Roth, CEO of entertainment company VENU which developed the Ford Amphitheater, gave $2,500. Norwood Development Group founder David Jenkins gave $2,850.

Ryan Graham’s campaign has accepted contributions from individuals including fellow local Republican candidates like Colorado Attorney General candidate Michael Allen and El Paso County Sheriff candidate Joseph Roybal. He received money from Blue Line Advocates, a committee for the Colorado Springs Housing and Builders Association, the Realtor Candidate PAC and Colorado’s Mountain PAC.

Graham’s list of contributors includes people employed with major developers in the Pikes Peak region. He received $8,400 from people who list employment with Vantage Homes and their spouses and $8,550 from people who work for Classic Homes.

Election Day is Nov. 3. For more information on the candidates, visit The Gazette’s Voter Guide and the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s election page.