In an odd situation reminiscent of the 2016 election cycle, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman won re-election in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District and on the same night was scorned by Donald Trump’s supporters in attendance at the election night party where he delivered his victory speech.

Coffman took the stage at the Colorado Republican Party’s election night party at the Doubletree Hotel in Greenwood Village, celebrating his win with fellow Republicans after it became clear he had successfully held off Democratic challenger Morgan Carroll, securing his fifth term. But to the surprise of many, Coffman was interrupted several times by shouts of “Trump! Trump!” and was asked sarcastically once “who’d you vote for?”

Coffman tried to distance himself from Trump during the campaign and his campaign staff later said Coffman had written in Mike Pence, Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, on his election ballot.

But Coffman pressed on, reading from prepared remarks.

“Victory is ours,” he said.

After thanking his wife, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, and others, he noted help from U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s campaign staff “gave us the push in the final days. No words can express my thanks for that support.” Gardner had just introduced Coffman to the crowd.

Coffman called the campaign “an epic battle.”

“For months, the 6th Congressional district has been targeted as one of the top races in the nation,” he said. “Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats threw millions of dollars behind my opponent and lobbed attack after attack against me. They threw everything against me but the kitchen sink. Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Donna Brazile. It didn’t work.”

Coffman vowed to continue to fight against “the culture of corruption and bureaucratic incompetence inside the (U.S. Veterans Administration) that has denied our veterans the care that they need and deserve” to cheers and applause.

Coffman also called the greatest threat to U.S. national security its growing debt, and said he would continue to push for a balanced budget requirement “to stop Washington from spending money we do not have.”

The campaign, Coffman added, was said to be too tough, Republicans too divided and he could never win support from minorities.

“And we proved them wrong,” he said to more cheers and applause.

As Coffman walked off the stage, his wife, Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, walked to the microphone and shouted, “Go Trump!” to wild cheers and applause.

Supporting the ticket

While the party was dominated by happy and boisterous Trump supporters, some Republicans remained somewhat subdued in their stated support for the soon-to-be president-elect. Jim Smallwood, who defeated Democrat Christina Maria Riegel in the race for the District 4 seat in the Colorado Senate, said he has always voted a Republican ticket.

“When we had so many candidates in the primary, I didn’t think it was fair to choose sides until that process was completed,” Smallwood told The Colorado Statesman on the crowded floor of the GOP party. “But I am a Republican and that’s how I vote.”

As Fox News reported new voting results in the presidential race and key U.S. Senate contests  – the crowd would chant “Drain the swamp” and “Lock her up” – on two big screen TVs, Smallwood said it seemed that “county-by-county, state by state, we’re seeing the lay of the land and it’s evident the American people really want changes.”

When asked if the negative perceptions of Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton played a role in the outcome, Smallwood said it was “obvious from virtually everything you read and hear, negativity was as high as we’ve ever seen it. That’s disappointing but it seems to reflect the outlook of the people. It doesn’t come from out of nowhere.”

Smallwood will replace incumbent Republican state Sen. Mark Scheffel, who did not seek re-election in District 4.

Firing up a happy crowd

Throughout the night, party officials and candidates occasionally addressed the crowd, such as Colorado Treasurer Walker Stapleton, who noted the overwhelming defeat of Amendment 69, the ColoradoCare statewide health care system, by voters. Stapleton had traveled the state to encourage the defeat of the amendment and debated with supporters at many stops.

“It will be a cold day in hell before Bernie Sanders brings ColoradoCare back,” Stapleton said to cheers from the crowd. Sanders had made several trips to Colorado to promote Amendment 69.

Nicholas Morse, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Polis for the CD 2 seat, briefly conceded and thanked supporters, his voice trembling at the close.

Heidi Ganahl defeated Democrat Alice Madden for the University of Colorado Regent At-Large seat and promised to “do my best to make sure there’s another conservative voice at the University of Colorado.”

Colorado Republican Committee Vice-Chairman Derrick Wilburn fired up the crowd when he stated most Americans believe public servants are “incompetent and corrupt, so they’re about to elect a man called Trump as president.”

“He started out saying what they thought were crazy things like we need to enforce our own borders and our own laws,” Wilburn said to loud cheers and applause. “And now we’re here to celebrate a man called Trump.”

Colorado Republican Committee Secretary Brandi Meek said the pro-Republican outcome of many races was due to “those people who knocked on doors, made phone calls and made this possible.”

“This isn’t the end of it, either,” Meek said. “We have to win the governor’s race in 2018. Tonight starts our efforts over the next two years toward a 2018 victory.”