RESULTS: Colorado held congressional and statewide primary elections
Colorado held congressional and statewide primary elections on Tuesday. Colorado holds its elections almost entirely by mail and the last in-person voting sites closed at 7 p.m. local time.
Congressional races
Colorado businessman Joe O'Dea defeated state Rep. Ron Hanks in the Senate Republican primary and will face Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet — the 2020 presidential candidate has a considerable cash advantage — in November. O'Dea has spoken publicly about his support for abortion rights in stark contrast to his Republican colleagues.
Candidates also faced off in primaries for the US House, including in the newly-created battleground 8th District outside of Denver, which Colorado gained as a result of population growth following the 2020 Census.
High-profile, far-right GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert won the Republican nomination in Colorado's safely-Republican 3rd District. She significantly outraised the Republican and Democratic candidates alike and brought in nearly $5 million in donations during 2022.
State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer won the Republican nomination for Colorado's new 8th District against a crowded field of Republicans, DDHQ projects. The competitive tossup seat included Thornton, Colorado, Mayor Jan Kulmann; Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine; Tyler Allcorn; and state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, who has benefited from a major influx of outside cash from PACs funded by billionaires.
National Democrats have dropped considerable sums of money boosting Hanks and Saine, far-right candidates they perceive as less electable in a general election. It's a controversial and potentially risky strategy during what could be a Republican wave year.
State races
Heidi Ganahl, a business owner and member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents, and businessman Greg Lopez are running in the GOP primary to face popular Democratic Gov. Jared Polis in November. Polis is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Former Jefferson County Clerk Pam Anderson defeated embattled Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters and businessman Mike O'Donnell in Colorado's Republican primary for secretary of state. Anderson will face incumbent Democrat Jena Griswold in November.
Peters made national headlines in 2021 after she was accused of breaching the security of her county's own voting system in search of evidence to back up baseless and false claims that the 2020 election was tainted by massive voter fraud.
A grand jury indicted Peters on a total of 10 counts — seven felonies and three misdemeanors — in connection with the breach in March, and a judge barred her from overseeing the 2022 election in Mesa County.