Colorado congressional candidates tout primary victories

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Candidates across Colorado boasted about their wins from Tuesday night’s primary elections.

From the U.S. Senate to U.S. House races across the state, partisan candidates are ready to face off against one another in November’s general election.

U.S. Senate

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, will face off against Republican Mark Baisley in November. Hickenlooper sailed to victory against Julie Gonzales with 55.05% of the vote in the Democratic primary and four out of 64 Colorado counties fully reporting on Wednesday.

Hickenlooper said he would push against President Donald Trump and work to secure Democratic victories in Congress.

“We are not going to accept Trump’s broken promises, cost-of-living emergency or his constant corruption,” Hickenlooper said in a video Tuesday night on X.

Hickenlooper called on Gonzales and her supporters to join his campaign in Colorado. Gonzales conceded her loss to Hickenlooper but did not endorse him on Tuesday night.

“My heart is full knowing that we’ve put the Democratic establishment on notice: keep taking folks like us for granted at your own peril,” Gonzales wrote in a statement. “That has never been more true: despite tonight’s outcome.”

Hickenlooper has called for reforming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Trump administration, and he floated shutting down the agency.

“ICE needs to be completely overhauled – or shut down,” Hickenlooper said. “We’ve voted against giving ICE another penny because they’ve refused to stop their violence and lawlessness.”

Baisley called for increased enforcement against fraud in Colorado and supported immigration enforcement.

“It’s so critical that we stop requiring Americans to fund healthcare and the mental health of folks who are in the country uninvited,” Baisley said. “They need to go home.”

Hickenlooper has a massive fundraising advantage over Baisley with more than $5.7 million in contributions toward his campaign over the last year, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings.

He has received contributions from the Solar Energy Industry Political Action Committee, American Israel Public Affairs Committee PAC and the American Financial Services Association PAC.

Baisley, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, has slightly more than $74,000 in campaign contributions, according to the FEC. Most of his contributions are small donations from individuals.

U.S. House

District 2

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Lafayette, will face off against massage therapist Kelley Anne Dennison in November’s general election. The incumbent did not face a competitor in the Democratic primary.

Dennison overcame a challenge from Christina Blunt, a hairstylist, in the Republican primary. Dennison had 58.4% of the vote on Wednesday. She received 17,116 votes as of Wednesday afternoon.

“I feel incredibly humbled that I am trusted, and I’m excited that the will of the people is being heard,” Dennison told SummitDaily.

By comparison, Neguse received 102,537 votes in an uncontested primary. His support compared to Dennison could reflect Democratic voting patterns in the district.

Dennison said she would work to target unaffiliated and libertarian voters with her campaign as she faces the challenge of defeating Neguse, who was elected to his seat in 2018. Dennison said she would focus on expanding federal funding for trade school programs and vocational training in Colorado’s second congressional district.

Neguse received more than $2 million in campaign contributions, according to most recent filings from the Federal Elections Commission. Campaign finance records for Dennison do not appear on the FEC’s website. She could not be reached for comment from The Center Square to clarify this issue.

Neguse received a contribution for $1,000 from Booz Allen Hamilton PAC, a well-known defense contractor; $2,500 from the American Hospital Association PAC; and $1,000 from Universal Music Group Action Fund.

District 4

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Windsor, and Navy veteran Eileen Laubacher will face off in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. Laubacher faced competition from Jenna Preston, a clinical psychologist, who opted in as a write-in candidate for the Democratic primary.

Laubacher received 100% of the vote for the Democratic primary with 65,710 votes as of Wednesday afternoon. Statistics were not available for the write-in votes for Preston, but it’s clear they didn’t exceed Laubacher’s numbers.

Boebert received 84,892 votes in her uncontested primary from a traditionally Republican-led district.

Boebert gained national attention over the past several years as a member of the House Freedom Caucus. Her support for U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and the release of files associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appeared to complicate her relationship with Republican President Donald Trump.

The president did not endorse Boebert for the Colorado primary and appeared poised to seek a replacement for the Colorado congresswoman in May.

“Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my Honor to withdraw that Endorsement, and endorse a good and proper alternative,” Trump wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, Laubacher has raised more than $8.5 million in an effort to unseat Boebert as tensions flare between Boebert and the president. Laubacher has focused her campaign on pushing back against Trump and the U.S. conflict in Iran.

“You do not go to war and then say, ‘Now let’s negotiate,’ ” Laubacher said. “You negotiate until you cannot negotiate anymore.”

District 6

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Aurora, and Jason Clark ran unopposed for the Democratic and Republican primaries respectively and will square off on Nov. 3.

District 7

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, and Tim Bennett were unopposed in the Democratic and Republican primaries respectively and will face each other in November.

Voters in Colorado will return to the polls on Nov. 3 to select their representatives in Congress. For more information on elections in Colorado, visit thecentersquare.com/colorado.