Progressive Denver Democratic Reps. Elisabeth Epps and Tim Hernández had been trailing their main challengers as early voting returns for a number of tightly contested statehouse races trickled in Tuesday night time.
Right here’s a take a look at key Democratic primaries in early outcomes posted to the Colorado secretary of state’s web site as of seven:50 p.m.:
- Denver’s Home District 4: Rep. Tim Hernández 44%, Cecelia Espenoza 56%.
- Denver’s Home District 6: Rep. Elisabeth Epps 35%, Sean Camacho 65%.
- Lakewood’s Home District 30: Kyra deGruy Kennedy 41%, Rebekah Stewart 59%.
- Thornton’s Home District 31: Rep. Julia Marvin 44%, Jacque Phillips 56%.
- Aurora’s Home District 36: Michael Carter 61%, Bryan Lindstrom 39%.
- Fort Collins’ Home District 52: Ethnie Groves Treick 39%, Yara Zokaie 61%.
- Boulder’s Senate District 18: Rep. Judy Amabile 78%, Jovita Schiffer 22%.
- Arvada and Westminster’s Senate District 19: Rep. Lindsey Daugherty 65%, Obi Ezeadi 35%.
- Aurora’s Senate District 28: Rep. Mike Weissman 55%, Idris Keith 45%.
Exterior spending geared toward influencing the outcomes in these hotly contested Democratic Home and Senate primaries has approached $4 million. It has pit constitution college supporters towards the Colorado Schooling Affiliation, commerce unionists towards the AFL-CIO, and conventional Republican backers towards longstanding Democratic boosters.
A lot of that cash, spent to spice up extra average candidates towards extra progressive opponents and vice versa, has been opaque, with its unique sources hidden.
The concentrate on Democratic primaries — notably from enterprise teams who’d beforehand gotten concerned in GOP races — has elevated as Republican energy within the state has waned and Democrats have jockeyed for affect over the now-dominant occasion, which holds giant majorities in each chambers.
The entire exterior spending contains greater than $1 million in last-minute buys from a brand-new group backed by Kent Thiry, the previous DaVita CEO and millionaire who’s pushing for a voter-approach overhaul of the state’s elections system.
That late money infusion, revealed for the primary time 4 days earlier than Election Day, has gone to again eight Democrats and 5 Republicans; the Democrats had been largely the identical as those that’d benefited from darkish cash spending by different enterprise, commerce unionist and training reform teams.
The candidates have additionally raised a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} themselves.
The contests are thought of — by each lots of the candidates and the organizations backing them — a part of a broader battle for the management and course of the Democratic Social gathering in Colorado. Because the state has turned blue lately, a rising contingent of left-wing lawmakers and elected officers have pushed for extra important modifications, notably in an more and more progressive state Home.
The rising left and the extra established heart haven’t been shy about criticizing one another as they compete for affect and take divergent approaches on learn how to tackle housing, prison justice and financial challenges.
Three of the contests embrace sitting Democratic lawmakers dealing with main challenges. That features Epps and Hernández, two of probably the most left-wing members of the legislature. Epps has drawn specific scrutiny and criticism for social media posts castigating a few of her colleagues and for shouting down at fellow legislators from the Home gallery throughout a November particular session.
Epps ran towards Camacho, a lawyer backed by centrist pursuits. Hernández was challenged by Espenoza, a former immigration choose he beat in a emptiness committee course of final 12 months.
Marvin, a Thornton-based consultant, was, like Hernández, appointed to the legislature through a emptiness committee and was being challenged by her opponent in that choice course of. She was trailing.
Whereas all the spending has drawn scrutiny, the quantity spent by a shadowy group within the race for an Aurora-based Senate seat has been notably eye popping. That contest featured Democratic Rep. Mike Weissman squaring off towards Idris Keith. Keith has been backed by greater than $400,000 in exterior assist, virtually solely from a brilliant PAC created final month; that features one other $50,000 for door-to-door canvassing reported Saturday, three days earlier than Election Day.
Weissman has been supported by labor and training teams. In all, that contest’s spending has surpassed $800,000.
As of early outcomes Tuesday, Weissman was main Keith.
Keep up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly publication, The Spot.