Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Election 2026

Gonzales Challenges Hickenlooper While Baisley Awaits November Matchup for Colorado Senate Seat
DENVER7, Approved, State

Gonzales Challenges Hickenlooper While Baisley Awaits November Matchup for Colorado Senate Seat

By: Colette Bordelon | Denver7 Denver7 spoke with Senator John Hickenlooper, State Sen. Julie Gonzales, and State Sen. Mark Baisley ahead of the June 30 primary election. DENVER — With less than two weeks until Colorado's primary election, voters have a number of important decisions to make. At the top of both ballots are the candidates vying to either win — or maintain — one of the coveted two spots in the U.S. Senate. The seat is currently held by Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper, who is being challenged by State Sen. Julie Gonzales in the primary election. State Sen. Mark Baisley is running unopposed on the Republican ballot. Unaffiliated voters in Colorado can choose between the two primary ballots, but cannot submit both. Ballots must be receiv...
Crank Says Colorado Springs Needs Results Not Anti-Trump Politics From Democrats
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Crank Says Colorado Springs Needs Results Not Anti-Trump Politics From Democrats

By Vince Bzdek | Colorado Politics 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 to President Donald Trump best. “The question, and I think this will be one in this race, is, does this community just want somebody who’s anti-Trump to fight and push back on Trump? Or do they want somebody who, no matter who the president is, whether it’s Joe Biden or Donald Trump, is going to go try and work to represent this community and get the best things for this community that they can?” Crank has been criticized by the Democratic candidates Jessica Killin and Joe Reagan for not standing up to Tr...
Before you return your ballot: What you get to decide, and what’s already decided.
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Before you return your ballot: What you get to decide, and what’s already decided.

By RMV Staff Ballots are already coming back across Colorado, but many voters are still making up their minds. Since January, RMV has followed candidates from campaign launches and candidate forums to assemblies, debates and ballot qualification fights. Before you return your ballot, here's what stood out. The race that could end a 24-year streak For Republicans, the governor's race is the biggest decision on the ballot. It has also been a losing one for a long time. No Republican has won the governor's office since Bill Owens in 2002. Democrats have held it ever since, through Ritter, Hickenlooper and two terms of Polis. Barb Kirkmeyer, Scott Bottoms and Victor Marx are asking Republican voters for the chance to end it. RMV asked all three candidates the same questions, ...
Super PACs Rush to Defend DeGette as Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Gains Momentum
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Super PACs Rush to Defend DeGette as Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Gains Momentum

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun The spending, most of it going toward ads attacking Melat Kiros, is the clearest sign yet that DeGette is at serious risk of being dislodged from Washington after nearly three decades. trio of super PACs is dumping $1.3 million, most of it from unknown sources, into the Democratic primary in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District in a last-minute effort to prevent longtime U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette from being unseated by political newcomer and Democratic socialist Melat Kiros. The spending, most of it going toward ads attacking Kiros, is the clearest sign yet that DeGette may be at serious risk of being dislodged from Washington after nearly three decades. Kiros, 29, is running as a liberal insurgent and is pitching vote...
Dark Money Groups Pour Millions Into Key Colorado Democratic Primary Battles
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Dark Money Groups Pour Millions Into Key Colorado Democratic Primary Battles

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun The dollars are aimed at helping more moderate candidates beat their more liberal opponents, including a handful of incumbents. It’s paying for ads and mailers in districts across the Denver area and one in the high country. About $2 million in untraceable money has flowed into a handful of Democratic statehouse primaries in recent weeks to help more moderate candidates beat their more liberal opponents, including several incumbents. The funds come from three nonprofits that don’t have to report their donors and are being routed through a convoluted web of eight state-level super PACs, some of which have names that appear aimed at deceiving people into thinking they are grassroots organizations. The dark money is paying for ads and ma...
Colorado Voters Prepare for Sweeping Legislative Changes in 2026 Elections
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Voters Prepare for Sweeping Legislative Changes in 2026 Elections

By: Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics This year’s general election will feature an unusually high number of state Senate races — 21 seats, the most in at least three decades. The surge stems from the number of new senators appointed to fill vacancies during the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions, which triggered additional seats to go before voters. That group of 21 includes six senators who are term-limited, running for other offices, or simply choosing not to return. Fifteen House members, meanwhile, will not return next term — they are either term‑limited, running for another office, or choosing not to seek reelection. Here’s a look at the lawmakers who are wrapping up their service in the General Assembly. Open Senate seats The 2026 elec...
Colorado Road Funding Initiative Nears November Ballot After 180,000 Signatures Submitted
The Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Road Funding Initiative Nears November Ballot After 180,000 Signatures Submitted

By Marissa Ventrelli | The Gazette Organizers of a proposal seeking to dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars to road construction and maintenance have submitted signatures to state election officials in their campaign to put the initiative on the ballot this November. If officials certified the signatures as sufficiently meeting the threshold — organizers need 124,000 to be valid — the battle shifts to persuading voters to embrace or reject the ballot question. The measure, Initiative No. 175, would require that all transportation-related revenue be used exclusively for building and repairing roads and bridges, improving safety, conducting transportation planning and engineering, and supporting Colorado State Patrol operations. The battle over road funding ha...
Texas GOP Voters Send Cornyn Packing in Landslide Win for Paxton
The Daily Signal, Approved, National

Texas GOP Voters Send Cornyn Packing in Landslide Win for Paxton

By George Caldwell | Daily Signal Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s primary runoff Tuesday, adding to President Donald Trump’s hot streak of unseating those he considers insufficiently loyal and ending Cornyn’s multi-decade career in the Senate. The Associated Press declared Paxton the victor at 9 p.m. EDT, when he held a 25 point lead over Cornyn. Paxton had secured 62.5% of the vote to Cornyn’s 37.5%. In his victory speech, Paxton credited his victory to Trump and pledged to work with him. “When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen,” Paxton said of Trump. Paxton added, “Instead, he gave me his complete and total endorsement....
Sharp Divides Emerge in Colorado Republican Governor Debate
DENVER7, Approved, State

Sharp Divides Emerge in Colorado Republican Governor Debate

By Óscar Contreras | Denver7 Watch key moments and the full debate between State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and State Rep. Scott Bottoms. DENVER — Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidates State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and State Rep. Scott Bottoms took the stage Thursday evening in their first televised debate ahead of the June 30 primaries. Victor Marx, a third contender in the GOP gubernatorial race, was invited to participate in the debate but declined Denver7's invitation. Both candidates fielded questions before a live studio audience of a few dozen people as they tried to make the case as to why it was time for Coloradans to hand power back to Republicans this November after nearly 20 years of Democratic control in the state. It was the first major televised deba...
Former NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s Support For Bennet Governor Campaign Reaches $2.5M
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Former NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s Support For Bennet Governor Campaign Reaches $2.5M

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Michael Bloomberg has given $2.5M to Rocky Mountain Way, the state-level super PAC supporting the US senator’s gubernatorial campaign. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s support for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s gubernatorial campaign reached $2.5 million last month, which is more than any Republican has raised in the race.  Bloomberg gave $1.25 million to Rocky Mountain Way, the state-level super PAC supporting the Democrat, between Jan. 1 and April 29, which was Colorado’s last campaign finance reporting period. That’s in addition to the $1.25 million the billionaire gave to the group last year.  The Colorado Sun reached out to Bloomberg’s philanthropic arm for comment Tuesday but didn’t immediately hear back. State-...

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