Colorado Politics

 Democratic ballots outpace Republicans’ as Colorado’s primary vote starts to trickle in

With less than two weeks left before ballots are due in Colorado’s primary election, election officials have logged in ballots from just under 6% of the state’s 4 million active, registered voters, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said Thursday....

 Amid public pressure, Colorado candidates tackle social media regulations for minors

Following the accidental overdose of her daughter in 2020, Patti Lujan pursued a lawsuit against Snapchat, the social media platform that, she claimed, connected her daughter with a drug dealer. In a news release announcing the lawsuit, Lujan alleged that...

 Colorado state Senate: Meet the primary election candidates

Colorado’s June 30 primary features a slate of state Senate contests, with several incumbents stepping aside and competitive fields emerging in both parties. These are some of the races to watch as voters begin to submit ballots. Senate District 3:...

 Hickenlooper raises $900K since April, heads into primary with almost $3 million on hand

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper raised just over $900,000 for his reelection bid in the 10-week pre-primary reporting period, the Colorado Democrat’s campaign said Wednesday. The campaign finished the period with almost $3 million in the bank, with more than 80%...

 Bennet’s gubernatorial ads say U.S. Senate committee paid for them

Update: as of Wednesday morning, at least one of the ads, featuring Colorado’s Democratic congressional delegation, has been changed to include the disclaimer “paid for by Bennet for Governor.” A series of TV commercials for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s gubernatorial...

 A graduated tax plan could undercut Colorado’s business competitiveness, analysis warns

A proposal to move Colorado to a graduated income tax — taxing individuals and businesses at different rates based on their earnings — could generate more than $2 billion in its first year, but it could also weaken the state’s...

 1st Congressional District Democratic primary: Meet candidates Diana DeGette, Milat Kiros and Wanda James

Voters in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District will face an unusually competitive choice on this year’s Democratic primary ballot, where Rep. Diana DeGette, who has represented the area for nearly three decades, is being challenged by two candidates who successfully qualified...

 Colorado primary for U.S. Senator: Candidates John Hickenlooper and Julie Gonzales

The race between U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper and state Sen. Julie Gonzales has emerged as one of Colorado’s most intriguing Democratic primaries. Gonzales is running on a message of generational change, arguing that Democrats need a more aggressive approach and...

 Colorado primary for governor: Meet the Democratic and Republican candidates

Colorado’s race for governor is wide open this year, with Gov. Jared Polis term‑limited and unable to seek reelection. Five candidates are competing for a spot on the November ballot, setting up one of the most closely watched primaries in...

 Colorado Attorney General Democratic primary: Meet the candidates

One of the most closely watched contests on the June primary ballot is the four‑way Democratic race for Colorado attorney general. With Attorney General Phil Weiser term‑limited and running for governor, attention has shifted to the candidates vying to replace...

 Michael Dougherty is literally running for attorney general in Colorado Democrat’s 1st TV ad

Democratic attorney general candidate Michael Dougherty, the Boulder County district attorney, runs laps around the judicial complex in Denver that houses the office he’s seeking in a TV ad released Friday that includes a subtle dig at one of his...

 Group aims to add right to hunt and fish to Colorado Constitution

A group is seeking to make Colorado the 25th state in the nation with an established constitutional right to hunting and fishing through a proposed ballot initiative. Backed by the International Order of T. Roosevelt, a group dedicated to preserving...

 Hickenlooper lands endorsements from Elizabeth Warren, Ministerial Alliance in US Senate primary

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper won endorsements this week from a progressive Democratic colleague and a coalition of metro-area African American faith leaders as voting began in Colorado’s primary election. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and the Greater Metro Denver...

 As number of unaffiliated voters grow in Colorado, experts note patterns, behavior

For the first time in Colorado’s history, more primary ballots are going to voters without a party affiliation than to registered Democrats or Republicans. As such, political experts said, candidates today need to appeal to a new block of people...

 Bennet campaign finance case delayed again as Colorado Elections Division amends complaint

A campaign‑finance complaint alleging that U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s Senate committee improperly paid for travel tied to his gubernatorial bid won’t get a public hearing until after the June 30 primary. The latest development followed months of delays and a...

 Flat or graduated income tax? Colorado groups push dueling measures for November election

Colorado voters could face two opposing income-tax measures on the November ballot, with the dueling campaigns seeking to advance proposals that would take the state in sharply different fiscal directions. One initiative seeks to replace Colorado’s flat income tax with...

 Backers of Colorado road-funding initiative reject withdrawal deadline

The standoff over a road‑funding initiative in Colorado persisted after supporters declined state lawmakers’ request to withdraw the measure, while both sides signaled they are willing to pursue a broader agreement ahead of the fall deadline. Initiative No. 175, backed...

 Sparks fly in debate between Democrats in Colorado’s 8th CD primary

The two Democrats running for the chance to take on the Republican incumbent in Colorado’s most competitive congressional district traded blows during a feisty televised debate Monday night, sparring over their approaches to reining in the Trump administration’s immigration policies...

 Jena Griswold hits airwaves with 1st major ad buy in Colorado’s Democratic attorney general primary

Democratic attorney general candidate Jena Griswold plays the greatest hits from her two terms as Colorado secretary of state in her campaign’s first TV ad, which began airing Monday, the same day county clerks began sending out primary ballots. Set...

 Primary ballots hit mailboxes in high-stakes election year in Colorado

County clerks began mailing primary ballots to voters on Monday, as Colorado wades deeper into a crowded election year. Voters will face a long list of choices in both the June 30 primary and the November general election. Every major...

 Bennet wants to be Colorado’s next governor | Cronin and Loevy

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is considered the front-runner in the Colorado Democratic Party primary contest for governor. His major opponent is current Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.  The Democratic primary election is June 30. Registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters who choose to can vote in this election. Ballots are being mailed...

 A tale of two debates | Vince Bzdek

Ballots go out Monday as the June 30 state primary elections bear down on us. As a result, it is suddenly the season of proliferating political debates, and there have been some doozies already. I had the chance to see two very...

 6 incumbents face challengers in primary in state races

With Colorado’s primary election just weeks away, voters will see plenty of new names on their ballots when they’re sent out next week.  There will be some old names, too, as several incumbents are running opposed. Six lawmakers — one...

 After prison release, Tina Peters faces tight parole limits, ongoing legal troubles

Released from prison this week, former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters now begins a parole term that outlines strict limits on her movements and conduct, while separate ethics and campaign‑finance cases continue to move forward. Peters’ parole, as first reported...

 Democrats Bennet, Weiser square off in spirited Colorado gubernatorial primary debate

The two Democrats running for governor of Colorado agreed on nearly every policy-related topic but vehemently clashed over which of them is best equipped to lead the state through what one described as an “existential moment” in a televised debate...

 Colorado voters to decide dozens of open state seats in June 30 primaries

With 21 Senate seats and all 65 House seats on the ballot, Colorado voters can expect a crowded November election. Nearly two dozen lawmakers are stepping down — some to run for other offices, others to leave politics altogether —...

 Election office rejects lobbying allegations in Colorado House district race

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has dismissed a complaint alleging that attorney Iris Halpern engaged in illegal lobbying at the state Capitol. Halpern is challenging Rep. Sean Camacho, D-Denver, in the June 30 primary for the House District 6...

 Colorado legislature braces for high turnover: 21 Senate seats, 15 House positions

This year’s general election will feature an unusually high number of state Senate races — 21 seats, the most in at least three decades. The surge stems from the number of new senators appointed to fill vacancies during the 2025...

 Colorado’s 3 Republican gubernatorial candidates face off in heated primary debate

The three Colorado Republicans running for governor defended their qualifications, described their visions for the state and traded jabs over each other’s character at an often contentious televised debate that routinely veered into unusual territory Tuesday night in Denver. The...

 Hickenlooper hits airwaves with 1st TV ad in Colorado’s Democratic US Senate primary

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper launched his reelection campaign’s first TV ad Tuesday, a week before Colorado voters start receiving primary ballots, with a spot taking aim at the Trump administration’s foiled plans to sell public lands. Hickenlooper is facing a...