Political party organizations in Colorado are encountering big structural change, in the words of a former presidential candidate. Primaries, caucuses, petitioning, initiatives, PACs and social media make “party” an in-name-only entity, less important than the outside money sources and policy or issue groups supporting people running for political office.

The presidential primary in Colorado was a rousing success by the numbers. Over 1.8 million ballots from about 50 percent of registered voters went to county clerks across the state. Almost 680,000 Democrats voted. That’s two-thirds of registered Democrats, a huge number for primary elections. Over 610,000 unaffiliated voters sent in ballots – an amazing number for a primary, three to one for the Democratic presidential race. Even Republicans, without a contested presidential ballot, turned out at over 530,000 votes.

These results show the intensity of the fight between whoever the Democratic candidate will be and Republican President Donald Trump. It demonstrates how capable individual candidates are in attracting money and followers.

While Sen. Bernie Sanders, a social Democrat running for president as a Democrat, complains that the Democratic “establishment” is corrupt, that argument in Colorado is undercut by his personal victory here. The national Democratic “establishment” may want a registered Democrat as their flag-bearer, but their wishes are not the people’s command.

For both parties, the people are veering away from the traditional notion of “establishment,” even if, in the Democrats’ case, former Vice President Joe Biden gets the nomination. Already, the Sanders side of the party has pushed Biden leftward. He will have to promote expanded health care, accelerated climate change policies, and some remediation of the higher education debt crisis. Even at that, he’s likely to be a short termer as he ages out and the number of young voters increases and older millennials begin to move into more political roles.

The state’s Democratic U.S. Senate race may turn out to be another nose thumb at national “establishment” party brokers. The caucuses, though very poorly attended, brought a resounding victory to former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. On the Democratic side, the caucuses are typically attended by older people who are longtime Democrats who like to yack about candidates and resolutions. These are the people who have been behind Democratic winners and losers for decades. These folks are the foundation of the establishment in Colorado, and they did not support the choice of national Democrats, former Governor John Hickenlooper, who didn’t want to run for Senate until he did.

If Hickenlooper wins the Senate primary, and Biden wins the presidential primary, it will no doubt be the last Democratic gasp, within a few years or so, of the 20th century’s moderate-center control of the party.

On the Republican side, the party is about to receive another slap in the face. Democrats in the state House and Senate, many on the younger side of 50, have taken on a surprisingly progressive agenda this session. Family leave may or may not get done, but the Corona virus certainly makes a case for why the policy makes sense. The virus also serves as an argument for universal health care.

When it comes to the 2020 elections, Democratic and Republican candidates will not look to the party establishment for their core support. The parties can’t deliver. The now well-established Sanders dribble technique of $5 contributions on top of $5 contributions will be a norm. These appeals are even coming into email inboxes from state officials who won in 2018 and won’t face re-election until 2022. Candidates who want the $5 need to lead on policies that have some spark to them. They’ll need to stand for “something,” as the formerly center-ish Romanoff learned. In 2006 he got behind some uncomfortable immigration legislation, but now he’s pitching the Green New Deal.

The 2021 redistricting of the state is likely to cement the liberal tide in Colorado. It’s all those young folks who are moving here that’s turned Colorado into a bellwether for the nation: progressive, detached from party but attached to people-focused government.

Paula Noonan owns Colorado Capitol Watch, the state’s premier legislature tracking platform.