Colorado Politics

 Colorado taxpayers would lose thousands in TABOR refunds under Democrats’ proposed ballot measure

A nonpartisan analysis of a proposed ballot measure that seeks to increase public education spending by tapping Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refunds shows that about 75% of what would otherwise go to Colorado residents wouldn’t actually go to K-12 schools....

 Boebert challenger Eileen Laubacher, Republican Gabe Evans lead Colorado’s quarterly House fundraising

The Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s most solidly Republican congressional district again posted the state’s biggest fundraising numbers for the most recent quarter, while Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, who is defending the state’s lone toss-up seat,...

 Colorado data‑privacy bill fails after sponsors shift it to a ballot measure

A Colorado bill aimed at restricting law enforcement and private companies from purchasing personal data without a warrant failed to advance Wednesday after a 6–5 vote in the House Judiciary Committee. The proposal, originally titled the “Fourth Amendment Is Not...

 Colorado congressional elections see over $9M in ad reserves from House Democrats’ super PAC

Meanwhile, Republican group reserves $5.5 million in Denver market The leading House Democratic super PAC is booking more than $9 million in fall TV and digital advertising across three Colorado media markets as part of an aggressive move to win...

 Colorado GOP asks judge to bar state from sending Republican primary ballots to unaffiliated voters

The Colorado Republican Party on Monday asked a federal judge to issue an emergency injunction to prevent the state’s unaffiliated voters from being able to cast ballots in the GOP’s upcoming primary election. Lawyers for the party argue in a...

 Colorado Senate candidate charged with felony child neglect after daughter nearly drowns in Florida pool, police say

Frederick Alfred, Jr., the sole Republican candidate for Senate District 21 in the June primary and November general election, was arrested in Key West, Florida, late Monday night. Alfred, 38, was charged with two counts of felony child neglect and...

 Colorado lawmakers set Jan. 11 start date for 2027 General Assembly

Legislative leaders on Tuesday confirmed that the 2027 session of the Colorado General Assembly will begin on Monday, Jan. 11. Ordinarily, legislative sessions start on the second Wednesday in January. That schedule shifts in years when a new governor is...

 Proposal to ban appointed Colorado legislators from serving in next term fails to advance

For the third year in a row, lawmakers have struck down a proposal that would have prohibited members of the Colorado General Assembly who were appointed through a vacancy committee from serving in the term immediately after. Sponsored by Rep....

 Colorado body reviews redistricting proposals as battle heats up nationwide

With 60 proposals on the April 15 agenda, Colorado’s title board wrapped up its final initial hearing for the 2026 election cycle, sending forward a slate of measures that could reshape workers’ compensation and reignite partisan battles over congressional redistricting....

 Lincoln – Pragmatic, persistent, partisan coalition-builder | Tom Cronin

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated 161 years ago this week, six days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Lincoln was 56 years old. Lee was 58 years old. Lincoln, generally regarded as our best...

 Colorado justices weigh constitutionality of unique disclosure requirement for ballot measures

Members of the Colorado Supreme Court considered on Tuesday whether a unique feature of the state’s campaign finance system categorically violates the First Amendment by requiring the disclosure of a ballot measure committee’s legal representative on advertisements. No on EE...

 Republicans Scott Bottoms, Victor Marx win spots in Colorado gubernatorial primary at party assembly

Two Christian ministry leaders from Colorado Springs qualified Saturday for the Republican gubernatorial primary ballot at the Colorado GOP’s state assembly in Pueblo in a party meeting that dragged late into the night. State Rep. Scott Bottoms, an Assemblies of...

 Colorado House finishes work on 2026-27 state budget, finally

The House on Saturday, after four days of work – it usually takes two – finished up their work and voted on the $46.8 billion 2026-27 state budget, as contained in House Bill 1410 and 64 accompanying measures designed to...

 What you need to know about the Colorado legislature reading a 661-page bill aloud

A rarely used procedural move by a Republican legislator threw the Colorado House into an extended slowdown, after she invoked her right to have a nearly 700-page state budget bill read aloud in full. Once Rep. Brandi Bradley, R‑Roxborough Park,...

 Colorado GOP votes down bid to ask court to prevent unaffiliated voters from voting in June primary

Members of the Colorado Republican Party’s executive committee rejected a proposal Thursday night to seek an emergency injunction in federal court to prevent unaffiliated voters from participating in the state’s upcoming June primary election. The proposed motion, backed by Colorado...

 Colorado Democrat John Hickenlooper pulls in nearly $1.4M in 1st quarter, heads into primary with $4M 

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s campaign raised nearly $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2026 and plans to report more than $4 million on hand heading into Colorado’s June primary, the first-term Democrat’s campaign said Thursday. That brings Hickenlooper’s total...

 Republican Ron Hanks plans ‘grassroots’ primary challenge to US Rep. Jeff Hurd in Colorado’s 3rd CD

Colorado Republican Ron Hanks, a former state lawmaker, plans to challenge first-term U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd in the 3rd Congressional District primary by seeking a spot on the June ballot at the GOP’s district assembly in Pueblo on Friday, Colorado...

 House GOP stalls Colorado budget debate by forcing full reading of 661-page bill

A procedural battle at the Colorado Capitol boiled over on Wednesday night, when a House Republican demanded the 661‑page state budget be read aloud in full — a move that delayed the advance of the proposed $46.8 billion spending plan....

 Poll: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis loses support among Democrats

Gov. Jared Polis is losing steam among members of his party, particularly progressive Democrats, according to a recent poll. Other statewide Democrats also saw their favorability ratings drop, though relatively stable compared to the governor’s numbers, the poll conducted by...

 Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear set to headline Colorado Democrats’ annual fundraising dinner

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, one of the Democrats’ top 2028 presidential prospects, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Colorado Democratic Party’s annual fundraising dinner in June in Denver, the party said Friday. Serving his second term as...

 Colorado sues Trump administration over elections order

Colorado has joined a coalition of states in suing President Donald Trump over his new executive order on elections, arguing the directive unlawfully intrudes on their authority to run their own voting systems and threatens access to mail ballots for...

 Denver Democrat Neal Walia lands endorsement from Ro Khanna in Colorado’s state House District 9

California Rep. Ro Khanna on Friday endorsed legislative candidate Neal Walia in the race for an open state House seat, praising the Denver Democrat’s commitment to public service and progressive goals. Walia, who mounted an unsuccessful challenge against U.S. Rep....

 Redistricting fight escalates as Colorado Title Board clears competing ballot proposals

Colorado’s title board on Wednesday gave final approval to multiple ballot measures related to congressional redistricting, setting up a series of proposals that could alter how the state draws its U.S. House districts for the 2028 and 2030 elections. The...

 Judge rules that Colorado law makes it too hard for parties to bar unaffiliated voters from primaries

A federal judge ruled in favor of the Colorado Republican Party late Tuesday, saying that a portion of the state law that allows unaffiliated voters to cast ballots in party primaries is unconstitutional because it imposes an unrealistic burden on...

 Colorado leaders say Trump’s executive order targeting mail voting violates state election authority

Colorado leaders criticized President Donald Trump’s new executive order issued Tuesday, arguing that its creation of a national voter‑eligibility list and new limits on mail voting violate states’ constitutional authority to run their own elections. President Donald Trump has frequently...

 Phil Weiser wins top spot in Colorado’s Democratic gubernatorial primary at party’s state assembly

Attorney General Phil Weiser’s name will appear first on Colorado’s Democratic gubernatorial primary ballot after his overwhelming win Saturday at the party’s state assembly in Pueblo. Weiser joins U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in the June 30 primary for the office...

 Denver Democrat Diana DeGette trails challenger Melat Kiros at assembly as both qualify for primary

U.S. Rep Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, qualified for Colorado’s June primary by the skin of her teeth Friday at the party’s district assembly, where the 15-term incumbent received fewer than half as many delegate votes as her challenger, 28-year-old...

 Federal judge upholds constitutionality of Colorado campaign contribution limits

A federal judge upheld Colorado’s individual campaign contribution limits as constitutional on Thursday, finding that three Republican plaintiffs failed to prove the campaign finance framework violates their First Amendment rights. U.S. District Court Senior Judge John L. Kane recognized that...

 Seligman, Bridges, Gonzales lead downballot races heading into Colorado Democrats’ state assembly

As Colorado Democrats prepare to designate candidates to the June primary ballot at the party’s state assembly in Pueblo on Saturday, three candidates appear poised to win top-line designation in downballot statewide races, according to data compiled by the state...

 Planned Parenthood, groups launch campaign against transgender ballot measures in Colorado

Planned Parenthood and other groups have launched a coalition to oppose two ballot measures that would ban transgender surgeries among children and require student athletes to only join sports teams that correspond to their biological sex. The two measures will...