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Michael Carter

State House District 36

Running in 2026: State House District 36 (June 30) · State House District 36 (November 3)

In the Legislature

House District 36 D · 2,064 floor votes this session, 3% not voting

Committees they vote in: State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs · Judiciary

Bills they lead: 45 (30 became law) — HB25-1114, HB25-1130, HB25-1148, HB25-1298, HB25-1301, HB25-1307, HB25-1316, HB25-1317, HB25-1322, HB26-1029, HB26-1039, HB26-1185 …

Colorado property

$664,700 at the county assessors' values, 1 parcel we matched to the property on their disclosures.

Kind	County	Assessor's value
home	Arapahoe	$664,700

The county assessor's actual value (the 2025 reappraisal, an estimate of market value in mid-2024), from the state's parcel records. We match parcels by the owner's name where their office or race is, or by the legal description or address on their disclosure; we don't show addresses, parcel numbers or co-owners. Property held in a name we can't connect to them isn't here.

Personal Financial Disclosures

Income listed: up to $219,996 on their latest disclosure with entries: the top of each range they selected, added up (the form asks for ranges, not amounts; a range with no top counts at its figure).

Statement	Filed	What it lists
2026 Annual CO House District 36	2026-01-12	4 income sources, 6 assets, 4 colorado property, 2 state-regulated businesses, 6 debts
2025 Annual 36	2025-07-15	4 income sources, 1 assets, 2 colorado property, 1 offices and directorships, 1 debts
2025 HD 36	2025-01-12	2 income sources, 2 colorado property, 1 offices and directorships, 3 debts

Findings

Worth a look Late or missing

TRACER lists a penalty for a late financial disclosure (July 14, 2025)

The Secretary of State's campaign finance system lists a “Late PFD” penalty dated July 14, 2025 on their candidate record; its status: paid. A disclosure is due within ten days of a candidate affidavit, and by January 10 each year for those in office; a late one accrues $50 a day until it's filed.

What to check

The penalty on the candidate's TRACER page (Penalties tab): the date, status and any waiver.
When the disclosure was then filed (their disclosures on this page).

Rule: A penalty for a late financial disclosure

“A $50 per day late filing penalty that will accrue until the statement is filed”Form CPF-13 (Rev. 06/2026), instructions: Candidate Filing Penalties ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works

Worth a look Gifts

$1,958 in gifts from COLORADO OPPORTUNITY CAUCUS in 2025, over the gift ban's $75 limit

Their own gift reports list 1 item from COLORADO OPPORTUNITY CAUCUS received in 2025, worth $1,957.84 in all: Organizational and educational retreat ($1,957.84). The Colorado Constitution's gift ban limits what an official may accept from one person in a calendar year to $75 (as adjusted for inflation), with exceptions: food and admission where they speak or answer questions, a nonprofit's or government's reasonable expenses for a meeting where they take part, gifts from relatives and personal friends on a special occasion, tokens and informational material, and anything they paid fair value for. Reporting a gift is required either way; the report doesn't say which exception, if any, applies.

What to check

Whether an exception in art. XXIX, sec. 3(3) applies: a speaking role or scheduled program, a nonprofit (under 5% for-profit funding) or government paying for a meeting they took part in, a relative or personal friend, or payment of fair value by the official.
The Independent Ethics Commission's advisory opinions and letter rulings on similar gifts.
The report itself in TRACER (Supplemental Reports: Gifts, Honoraria and Other Benefits).

Rule: Gifts over the gift ban's limit

“shall solicit, accept or receive any gift or other thing of value having either a fair market value or aggregate actual cost greater than fifty dollars ($50) in any calendar year”Colorado Constitution, art. XXIX, sec. 3(2) (the Independent Ethics Commission's copy); the limit is $75 from 2023 (IEC Position Statement 23-01) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works

Context Late or missing

Their 2025 annual disclosure is dated January 12, 2025, after the January 10 deadline

As a member of the General Assembly, they file a disclosure by January 10 each year. The first we found for 2025 in TRACER's Document Search is dated January 12, 2025, 2 days after the deadline.

What to check

Whether they took office after January 10 that year (an appointment or a new judgeship).
The document's date in TRACER is the date it was received or entered.

Rule: An annual disclosure after January 10, or none found

“The following state officials must file a PFD by January 10th each year 24-6-202(1), C.R.S.”Form CPF-13 (Rev. 06/2026), instructions: Annual Filing Requirements ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works

Gifts they reported

What Michael Carter listed on their quarterly reports of gifts, honoraria and other benefits since 2024: $1,958 across 1 item from 1 source. Givers who are clients of a registered lobbyist are marked.

From	What, when	Value
COLORADO OPPORTUNITY CAUCUS $1,958 in all	ORGANIZATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL RETREAT · 2025-10-03	$1,957.84

From the reports in TRACER (search them: Gifts and Honoraria Report). Officials file one each quarter in which they receive a reportable item (C.R.S. 24-6-203).

Campaign money: State House District 36

$74,646itemized, 240 contributions

$0from the candidate (incl. loans)

Where their outside money comes from

46%38%12%

IndividualsBusinessesTrade, professional and issue groupsLabor unionsTribal governmentsPolitical partiesOther candidates and officeholders

Plus $461 of their own money and from their earlier campaigns' committees. Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $84,136

Advertising$42,210

Consultants and professional services$12,000

Food and meals$7,911

Travel & Lodging$6,325

Office Equipment & Supplies$4,297

Employee Services$3,324

Rent & Utilities$3,060

Entertainment$1,937

Other$1,050

Bank Fees$875

Largest payees: PRACTICAL CAMPAIGN SERVICES $29,918 Consultants and professional services · THE BUFFALO FIRM LLC $13,412 Consultants and professional services · ROCKY MOUNTAIN VOTER OUTREACH $4,800 Advertising · VANESSA REILLY $1,700 Employee Services · CONSTANT CONTACT $1,696 Fundraising Expenses · CITY OF AURORA $1,676 Miscellaneous · XCEL ENERGY $1,560 Rent & Utilities · MURPHY CREEK $1,421 Rent & Utilities

Expenditures their committee reported to TRACER over the election cycle, by the type the committee gave; a consultant's payments to others (ads, mail) show under the consultant.

Top contributors	Type	Total
COLORADO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Greenwood Village	Small Donor Committee	$6,200
APARTMENT ASSOCIATION OF METRO DENVER SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Denver	Small Donor Committee	$5,200
COLORADO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS SMALL DONOR FUND Denver	Small Donor Committee	$5,000
BUILDING A STRONGER COLORADO, SPONSORED BY WESTERN STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS Los Angeles	Small Donor Committee	$3,100
COLORADO MEDICAL SOCIETY SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Denver	Small Donor Committee	$3,000
COPIC SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Denver	Small Donor Committee	$2,000
COLORADO AFL-CIO SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE (COLORADO AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR & CONGRESS OF INDUSTRI Denver	Small Donor Committee	$1,750
ARCHITECTS OF COLORADO SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Denver	Small Donor Committee	$1,000
COLORADO TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE (CTLA) Denver	Small Donor Committee	$1,000
PIPEFITTERS LOCAL 208 POLITICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE Denver	Small Donor Committee	$1,000
SCOTT CHASE Lobbyist · POLITCALWORKS · Parker	Individual	$675
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES Washington	Small Donor Committee	$500
COBALT ADVOCATES SDC Denver	Small Donor Committee	$500
TERRY SNYDER Lobbyist · SELF · Denver	Individual	$500
AMERICAN PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION COLORADO POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Chicago	Political Committee	$450

Committees: TO ELECT MICHAEL CARTER TO COLORADO STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 36. From the Secretary of State's TRACER bulk files.

Outside spending for and against them

$75,844spent supporting them

$0spent opposing them

Spender		Amount
AMERICAN FUTURE primary · notices in TRACER	for	$75,844

Independent expenditures from the 48-hour notices, 2026. The candidate doesn't control them. One that names several candidates is split evenly among them.

Their donors also gave to

Their largest donors who also funded other 2026 state candidates.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
COLORADO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Group or PAC · Greenwood Village	$12,400	28
APARTMENT ASSOCIATION OF METRO DENVER SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Group or PAC · Denver	$10,550	42
COLORADO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS SMALL DONOR FUND Labor union · Denver	$8,000	48
REALTOR SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE (RSDC) Group or PAC · Englewood	$6,200	56
COLORADO MEDICAL SOCIETY SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Group or PAC · Denver	$5,000	63
COPIC SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Group or PAC · Denver	$4,500	56
COLORADO STATE CONFERENCE OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE (CSCEW) Labor union · Denver	$4,000	27
BUILDING A STRONGER COLORADO, SPONSORED BY WESTERN STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS Labor union · Los Angeles	$3,100	20
COLORADO TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE (CTLA) Group or PAC · Denver	$3,000	58
PIPEFITTERS LOCAL 208 POLITICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE Labor union · Denver	$2,500	26
LABORER'S LOCAL 720 SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Labor union · Denver	$2,000	12
COLORADO AFL-CIO SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE (COLORADO AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR & CONGRESS OF INDUSTRI Labor union · Denver	$1,750	54
HOMES FOR ALL COLORADOANS COMMITTEE Group or PAC · Centennial	$1,000	18
COLORADO AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR & CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS NONPARTISAN SMALL DONOR Labor union · Denver	$1,000	31
HEALTHIER COLORADO SMALL DONOR COMMITTEE Group or PAC · Denver	$1,000	40