Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Election 2026

Independent Candidate Enters High-Profile Congressional Race Against Socialist Melat Kiros
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Independent Candidate Enters High-Profile Congressional Race Against Socialist Melat Kiros

By Ernest Luning and Mark Samuelson | The Denver Gazette      Unaffiliated congressional candidate Shimon Blau, a Denver doctor, has qualified by petition for the general election in Colorado’s 1st District, where Democrat Melat Kiros defeated 15-term U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in last month’s primary, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said Friday. Blau, a newcomer to politics, submitted just shy of 2,000 valid signatures on July 8 days after starting his petition drive in response to Kiros’s upset primary win over DeGette. Election officials said 1,918 of the 2,212 signatures gathered by Blau were accepted, easily clearing the 1,500 signature requirement. Shimon Blau, who qualified to run for the 1st Congressional Distri...
Colorado Socialist Nominee Calls for More Immigrants to Hold Public Office
New York Post, Approved, National

Colorado Socialist Nominee Calls for More Immigrants to Hold Public Office

By: Chris Bradford | New York Post The anti-Israel Gen-Z socialist who ousted 15-term Colorado rep Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) has called for more immigrants to be elected into office so America’s “exploitative” role on the world stage can be combated. Ethiopian-born Ph.D student Melat Kiros – who wildly claimed the elimination of Israel isn’t antisemitic – told Denver’s Wa-Ela Tigray diaspora gathering earlier this month there needs to be “more people who have heritage in the global south.” Kiros, a member of the radical Democratic Socialists of America, spoke about the challenges of being an insurgent candidate before warning those already in power they have a responsibility to make it easier for their successors when it comes to running for office. ...
Colorado Right To Hunt And Fish Measure Clears Key Ballot Hurdle
The Steamboat Pilot, Approved, State

Colorado Right To Hunt And Fish Measure Clears Key Ballot Hurdle

By: Ali Longwell | The Steamboat Pilot Opponents of the measure are concerned it could limit wildlife management flexibility and spur legal challenges. A group seeking to establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish in Colorado has cleared a major hurdle on its way to the November 2026 ballot.  On July 8, supporters of what’s currently known as Initiative 302 submitted over 180,000 signatures to Colorado’s Secretary of State.  “This commitment by the people demonstrates the energy behind preserving our heritage here in the Centennial State this November,” said Dan Gates, founder of Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management, in a news release. “Now it’s time to get it across the finish line and codify this in the state constitution so c...
Record Political Spending Could Not Buy Every Victory in Colorado Primaries
Estes Park Trail Gazette, Approved, State

Record Political Spending Could Not Buy Every Victory in Colorado Primaries

By Nick Coltrain | Estes Park Trail Gazette Analysis shows major amounts spent by campaigns, outside interests — mostly in Democratic races The $67 million storm has passed. For now. That is roughly how much was spent on all of Colorado’s competitive primaries for statewide and federal office — and almost all of it went to influence Democrat-vs.-Democrat contests as voters picked who would represent the party in November’s election, according to an analysis by The Denver Post. Millions more went to down-ballot races, such as local legislative races. The rain from the proverbial storm of cash poured down in the form of candidate mailers, door knockers, and TV and digital ads, and in less apparent campaign infrastructure and polls. The vast majority of the ...
Victor Marx Wins GOP Nomination Setting Up Colorado Governor Showdown
DENVER7, Approved, State

Victor Marx Wins GOP Nomination Setting Up Colorado Governor Showdown

By Robert Garrison | Denver7 DENVER — The too-close-to-call GOP primary for Colorado governor has been settled more than a week after the election. The Associated Press has projected that Marine Corps veteran Victor Marx has won the Republican nomination, defeating his opponent, Barbara Kirkmeyer, by at least 2,142 votes. The June 30 Republican primary for governor had been too close to call at the end of election night, with Marx having a slight lead. However, most counties, including the largest ones, have now reported their final results. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
Independent Candidate Launches Last Minute Bid for Colorado’s First Congressional District
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Independent Candidate Launches Last Minute Bid for Colorado’s First Congressional District

By Mark Samuelson | The Denver Gazette Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros’ surprising defeat of 15-term Congresswoman Diana DeGette may be creating a void within Denver’s voter base — and at least one latecomer is jumping into that gap, petitioning to get himself on the November ballot as an independent candidate. Dr. Shimon Blau told The Denver Gazette he spent the weekend stewing about the direction of the state’s politics following last week’s primary election and Kiros’ victory. On Monday, he carried out a frenzied exchange of phone calls with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office to obtain the right application. Late that afternoon, Blau said, he filed the paperwork to petition for valid signatures in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. If he can come up with ...
Victor Marx Pulls Ahead as Colorado GOP Governor Race Moves Beyond Recount Margin
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Victor Marx Pulls Ahead as Colorado GOP Governor Race Moves Beyond Recount Margin

By: Luige Del Puerto | The Denver Gazette Ministry leader Victor Marx on Wednesday night overtook state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer in the Republican primary for Colorado governor, securing enough votes that — for now — put the race beyond the mandatory recount threshold. The Republican primary race between Kirkmeyer and Marx briefly entered mandatory recount territory on Wednesday afternoon, with just a few hundred votes separating the two candidates. The eventual Republican nominee will face Attorney General Phil Weiser, who defeated U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in the Democratic primary. Kirkmeyer’s edge over Marx had been shrinking from about 8,000 votes, or 1 percentage point, to fewer than 700 votes — until Marx took the lead by Wednesday night. As of the...
Colorado GOP Governor Primary Too Close To Call As Kirkmeyer Holds Narrow Lead
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado GOP Governor Primary Too Close To Call As Kirkmeyer Holds Narrow Lead

By Jesse Paul and Olivia Prentzel | The Colorado Sun Kirkmeyer had 41% of the vote to Marx’s 39% at 10:30 p.m. In third place was state Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs, with 20% of the vote. LARKSPUR — Colorado’s Republican primary for governor was too close to call Tuesday night, with state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer holding a slight lead over ministry leader Victor Marx in the race that will determine who gets a chance to become the state’s first Republican leader in 20 years.    Kirkmeyer had 41% of the vote to Marx’s 39% at 10:30 p.m. In third place was state Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs, with 20% of the vote. Whoever ultimately wins the primary will face Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser in November. Republicans haven’...
Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Puts DeGette’s Three Decades in Congress at Risk
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Puts DeGette’s Three Decades in Congress at Risk

By: Colleen Slevin and Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Kiros has tapped into the national discontent for incumbents among Democratic voters and parlayed her social media savviness into a campaign that has DeGette’s supporters incredibly nervous. 29-year-old democratic socialist is giving U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette her biggest challenge in the 30 years since she was first elected to represent Denver, appearing on the verge of pushing Colorado’s longest serving member of Congress out of Washington. Melat Kiros, who was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders last week, has tapped into the national discontent among Democratic voters toward incumbents and parlayed her social media savviness into a campaign that at the very least has DeGette’s supporters incre...
New Internal Poll Shows Weiser Surging Past Bennet in Democratic Governor Primary
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

New Internal Poll Shows Weiser Surging Past Bennet in Democratic Governor Primary

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics 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. The survey, conducted Wednesday and Thursday by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, found Weiser with 45% support to Bennet’s 36%, with 19% undecided. Fighting for Colorado, a state super PAC formed to support Weiser, commissioned the poll, which has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. PPP interviewed 600 likely voters — including Democrats and unaffiliated voters who said they’ll cast ballots in the Democratic primary — using a mix of automated calls to landline phones and text ...