For anyone who’s taken a moment to reflect on it, “primary” is a strange name for the kind of election we just had in Colorado. Does that make the November election secondary? In Colorado statewide races, that’s a fair moniker in most elections, with Democrats winning every statewide race for years now. Only one Republican governor has been elected in Colorado in the last 50 years. So it’s fair to assume that the Democratic primaries are indeed the primary election for those races.
On the other hand, the consistency with which Republicans win here in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, contained entirely within El Paso County, is equally one-sided. Nevertheless, local and national Democrats alike are hopeful that they might finally turn it blue for the first time in its history. Hope springs eternal.
So how did it all go? Are democratic socialists the new establishment of the Democratic Party? Have Colorado Republicans embraced Marx-ism? Let’s have a look at the primary results both local and statewide.
Pikes Peak region
While the young and the bold had a good day in some places, not so here.
CD-5 (D): Killin it.
Former lobbyist Jeff Crank will face former lobbyist Jessica Killin after she delivered a resounding defeat to Joe Reagan. Reagan was running for the Democratic nomination for CD-5 for the second time. As for Killin, if money is the key to victory, it’ll be close in November.
County Commission District 1 (R): School-choicer showdown
Charter school board member Ryan Graham won out over homeschool co-op founder Lindsay Moore in the battle for the privilege of beating Democrat Gavin Rainey in the general election.
County Commission District 5 (D): Former councilwoman clubs baby Seale
Former Colorado Springs city councilwoman Yolanda Avila managed to meet expectations with a solid victory over young party organizer Christian Seale. She’ll now look to break the conservative stranglehold on the County Commission. I will not be taking bets.
County Commission District 5 (R): Conveyor belt politics
Heavily endorsed incumbent Lauren Nelson won out over sparsely endorsed challenger Vickie Tonkins. Nelson has served in the position for about a year. She was appointed after her predecessor, Cami Bremer, resigned to serve as head of Pikes Peak United Way, which in turn left vacant Nelson’s School District 11 school board seat, filled by Amanda Huber. Quite the conveyor belt.
County-level races: Uncontested primaries set up two uncontested general elections
In a triumph for the democratic process, the Republican candidates for El Paso County Treasurer and Coroner faced no opposition for the nomination, nor shall they face opposition in November as the county Democrats neglected to nominate anyone for the positions. Not too grueling an interview process for jobs that each pay over $150,000/year.
State assembly races: Experience (mostly) prevails
Lynda Zamora Wilson stands out as the only incumbent in any Pikes Peak-area race not to secure the nomination of her party, losing to former House District 20 representative Terri Carver. Wilson got herself into the 9th Senate District seat by way of appointment, not election, and perhaps it’s refreshing to see that the conveyor belt supremacy isn’t universal.
Elsewhere, Brenda Miller triumphed over Alexander Africa (whom we can all agree has the much better name) for the Republican nomination for House District 21. The conveyor belt succeeded again as D11 school board member Jill Haffley won out over Jamie Koch to go up against Steph Vigil in House District 16. Vigil lost by a total of three votes two years ago to Republican Rebecca Keltie, who decided one taste of government was all she needed.
And in the race for the Democratic nomination for House District 17, incumbent Dr. Regina English fended off a challenge from Chauncy Johnson. Johnson was running off the back of his defeat to Kimberly Gold in last year’s City Council District 4 election. Maybe he and Joe Reagan can form a club.
Across the state
Democratic surprises
Tuesday’s biggest headlines involved the Democratic race for the gubernatorial nomination, where
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser managed a come-from-behind victory against Senator Michael Bennet, and for the nomination for US House District 1, where democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated long-time Representative Diana DeGette. Between Bennet and DeGette, one starts thinking that name recognition and money aren’t everything. But they are sometimes something.
Fun fact: DeGette’s first term in the House began a few months before Kiros was born.
Tuesday’s littlest headlines involved victories for Senator John Hickenlooper, who fended off an unlikely challenge from State Senator Julie Gonzales, and Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold who’s seeking to move horizontally into the state attorney general’s office. In a blow to activists statewide, a merry band of challengers to Griswold’s presumed nomination didn’t ultimately manage to come close to spoiling her party.
Colorado Republicans and Marx-ism
In a victory for a local boy, El Paso County District Attorney and perpetual baby-face Michael J. Allen won out over attorney David Willson to earn the right to see if he fares any better than the merry band against Jena Griswold.
On the Republican side of the gubernatorial race, the privilege of losing to Weiser is still too close to call as of this writing. Barbara Kirkmeyer has managed to mount a closer challenge to Victor Marx than many expected. Mark Baisley was the only one to volunteer as tribute in the Senate race against Hickenlooper come November.
