DENVER – U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet released a new ad that hits TV stations in Denver and Colorado Springs on Thursday touting his work on college affordability.

The incumbent Democrat from Denver has spent slightly more than half a million dollars on TV ads since the second week in April, and his second ad continues an early positive message campaign.

“I’m fighting for a law that would allow people to refinance their student loans just like you can a car loan or a home loan,” Bennet says in the ad, after adults wearing their graduation caps talk about Colorado’s collective $21 billion in student loan debt. “Every Coloradan deserves a chance to go to college, and every graduate should have more to look forward to than a lifetime of debt.”

That message should play well with the Democratic base in Colorado, which overwhelmingly supported Sen. Bernie Sanders for president, a candidate advocating for tuition-free public colleges and universities.

Bennet’s last ad was about as apolitical as possible, touting his intervention in an administrative rule that would have prevented hops used in beer making from being sold to ranchers as feed.

There’s no clear opponent in the race for Bennet.

Five Republicans will likely face off in a June primary to get the chance to challenge him in November.

The race will draw big donors from outside Colorado on both sides because it’s considered a swing seat in the battle for overall control of the Senate. Republicans are targeting Bennet as vulnerable, but have been unable to attract a big-name candidate like in 2014 when then-Rep. Cory Gardner defeated former Sen. Mark Udall, a Democrat.

Robert Blaha, a Colorado Springs businessman, is the only Republican candidate who has been on TV. Blaha spent $9,000 in January to air a 60-second ad on CBS after a Denver Broncos playoff game. The bobblehead ad – a knock on career politicians – has also been online. Blaha has a second online ad about keeping career politicians from becoming lobbyists. Ironically, that’s an issue Bennet has fought for as a senator.

Blaha has loaned his campaign $1 million, according to his campaign manager Katey Price, and has taken in another $100,000 in donations, according to self-reported first quarter donation numbers.

Bennet’s campaign reported raising $1.8 million in the first quarter, most of which came from itemized individual contributions. Bennet has $7.6 million cash on hand, even after spending $906,927 in the first quarter. According to filings with the Federal Communications Commission, Bennet’s campaign has spent $508,386 on mostly 30-second ads running between April 7 and April 25.

Campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission won’t be fully available for a few more weeks as the hand-filed documents are processed.

Jack Graham, the former athletic director for Colorado State University, also has reported donating $1 million to his own campaign. Graham’s campaign spokesman said in the first quarter Graham took in $340,880 in donations.

In the 2014 Senate race, the negative ads started early and continued through the campaign, as Udall went after Gardner for his stance on reproductive rights and Gardner hit Udall for coming from a family of politicians.

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Contact Megan Schrader: 286-0644

Twitter @CapitolSchrader