Colorado Politics

 Crank challenger Jessica Killin signs on to new centrist Democratic group’s ‘Promise to America’

Jessica Killin, one of the Democrats running in Tuesday’s primary for the chance to challenge U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, joined with more than a dozen incumbent Democratic lawmakers and candidates this week signing on to...

 Who’s spending in Colorado to get your vote?

Groups that raise unlimited amounts of money have spent about $20 million in May and June to try and influence Colorado voters’ choices in the upcoming June 30 primaries. By law, these groups cannot coordinate with the candidates they support....

 Phil Weiser leading Michael Bennet in Colorado’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, internal poll finds

Attorney General Phil Weiser holds a lead over U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet among likely voters less than a week before ballots are due in Colorado’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, according to a new poll released Thursday by a group backing Weiser....

 Colorado’s ‘right to natural gas’ measure submits signatures to qualify for November ballot

A natural-gas rights initiative backed by Advance Colorado is likely headed to the November ballot, triggering a parallel campaign by environmental groups seeking to impose new liabilities on oil and gas operators. Petitions for Initiative No. 177 were turned in...

 Colorado’s primary turnout tops 10% as election officials warn it’s too late to mail ballots

Colorado election officials cautioned on Tuesday that it’s too late to mail ballots for the June 30 primary and urged voters to use drop boxes and their county’s voting centers instead. Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a release...

 Rural frustration, parental rights shape Scott Bottoms’ pitch ahead of Colorado’s gubernatorial primaries

With just weeks before Colorado’s June primary, Republican gubernatorial candidate state Rep. Scott Bottoms is spending nearly all his time on the road — literally crisscrossing the Western Slope and Eastern Plains — in a final push to connect with...

 Registered voters on the eve of the 2026 primaries | Cronin & Loevy

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has published the latest voter registration figures for the state and its counties as of June. Colorado ranks among the highest states for independent, or unaffiliated, voters. Only Alaska and Massachusetts have more. New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine  and Oregon also rank highly.  So here...

 Democratic candidates DeGette, Kiros and James clash in CD1 forum

The three Democratic candidates for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District clashed on Friday night over a host of issues, even as they expressed frustration with their party. The candidates — U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, doctoral student Melat Kiros and university regent...

 Rep. Jeff Crank thinks Democrats are too focused on Trump, not enough on Colorado Springs | Vince Bzdek

For U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, who’s unopposed in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District but the main target of both candidates in the lively Democratic primary, the big question in the midterms is not who will stand up...

 Bernie Sanders endorses DeGette challenger Melat Kiros in Colorado’s 1st CD Democratic primary

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday endorsed congressional candidate Melat Kiros, one of two Democrats challenging 15-term U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado’s June primary. Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democrats, called the 29-year-old Kiros “exactly the...

 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, Melat 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...