DemDaily: The Last Before the Lull. Election Results!
July 3, 2026
As the country turns its focus to the 250th celebration of its founding, the campaign primary season hits a summer lull -- with elections in Colorado and Louisiana having capped off the June primaries, and just three contests on the calendar in July.
When Congress recesses for the summer, however, the final three-month sprint to November begins in earnest, with 17 State primaries and three Congressional special elections in August.
More on recent Elections, Runoffs and Results...
DemDaily: Tuesday’s Election Results! NY, MD, SC, UT 6/25/26
DemDaily: 2026 Governors' Races: The New Landscape! 6/18/26
DemDaily: Tuesday’s Election Results! GA, DC, AL, OK 6/17/26
DemDaily: A Turning Point for DC 6/16/26
DemDaily: Tuesday’s Election Results! ME, SC, NV, ND 6/11/26
DemDaily: SCOTUS Reinstates Racial Discrimination in Redistricting 6/9/26
DemDaily: Tuesday’s Six State Primaries: California and Updates! 6/4/26
DemDaily: Tuesday’s Election Results! All Six State Primaries. CA, IA, MT, NJ, NM, SD 6/3/26
| The Full Schedule: DemDaily: The 2026 Election Calendar: Latest Updates! 6/22/26 SignUp |
COLORADO
Primary Elections: US Senate, US House, Governor, State Executive Offices
The latest test of the democratic parties' insurgent progressive movement and the internal battle over generational representation were both on display in Tuesday's primaries -- with some exceptions.
Governor: In the contest to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Jared Polis, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated three-term US Senator Michael Bennet 56.9%-43.1%. In the true blue state where Democrats have held the governor's mansion since 2007, Weiser is heavily favored in the general election. Bennet's term is not up until 2028, so he returns to the Senate.
The Republican primary for Governor remains too close to call, with pastor and Marine veteran Victor Marx (39.83%) holding a narrow lead of roughly 2,000 votes over establishment candidate State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer (39.44%). State Representative Scott Bottoms trails with 20.73%.
US Senate: Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper fended off a primary challenge from the left, defeating progressive State Senator Julie Gonzales, 52.9%-47.1%. Hickenlooper faces State Senator Mark Balsley, who was unchallenged for the Republican nomination.
Attorney General: Term-limited Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold swept the Democratic primary with 44.3% of the vote, defeating three other candidates who came in under 20%. She faces El Paso District Attorney Michael Allen, who defeated retired Army attorney and cybersecurity consultant David Willson 59.9%-40.1%.
Secretary of State: Amanda Gonzalez (D), the first Latina and first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as Jefferson County Clerk, will go head-to-head against MAHA Republican James Wiley in the general election.
US House
CD-1: In a stunning upset, 29-year-old lawyer and Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros (49.3%) defeated 15-term Congresswoman Diana DeGette (43.5%) in Tuesday's Democratic primary for the Denver-based First CD. University of Colorado Board of Regents member Wanda James secured 7.2% of the vote.
Kiros faces accountant Christy Peterson, who ran unopposed in the Republican Party.
| DeGette is the third Democratic incumbent to be toppled by a Democratic Socialist (DSA) in the last two weeks, following the defeat of 10th CD Congressman Dan Goldman by former NYC City Comptroller Brad Lander and five-term Congressman Adriano Espaillat (CD-13) by Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York's June 23 primary. Both were endorsed by Democratic Socialist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as well as Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, who won the open seat primary to succeed Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (CD-7). In another DSA triumph, State Representative Chris Rabb won the May 19 nomination for Pennsylvania’s Third CD to succeed five-term Congressman Dwight Evans (D). |
CD-3: In a test of the Republican base on the Western Slope, freshman Republican Jeff Hurd handily staved off a primary challenge from conservative State Representative Ron Hanks with 66% of the vote. He will face decorated Army veteran and Aspen realtor Dwayne Romero, a last-minute entry into the race, who defeated businessman Alex Kelloff 54.9%-45.1%.
CD-8: Freshman Republican Gabe Evans is being challenged by Manny Rutinel, a progressive state representative and former animal rights activist who defeated former Colorado State Representative and centrist Blue Dog Shannon Bird, 62.7%-32.6%.
The toss-up Eighth District, which includes the northern Denver suburbs and extends into Greeley, is the state's most competitive district. It is also the state’s newest congressional district, drawn by an independent redistricting commission after the 2020 census.
LOUISIANA
Louisiana was scheduled to hold partisan primaries and runoffs for the US House on May 16 and June 27, 2026, respectively, but they were postponed after the US Supreme Court's April 29 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that struck down the state's congressional map as unconstitutionally gerrymandered.
To give the GOP-controlled legislature time to redraw the map, Governor Jeff Landry rescheduled the primary elections for the state's six US House districts to November 3, and the general election to December 12, 2026. The Pelican State, however, did move forward with the regular May 16th primary for the US Senate.
US Senate Primary Runoff
In the Republican primary for US Senate, Fifth District Congresswoman Julia Letlow (44.8%) and Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming (28.3%) advanced from the May primary to a June 27th runoff -- where Letlow, who has the endorsements of Donald Trump and Governor Jeff Landry, defeated Fleming 56.9%-41.3%.
The May Democratic primary went to a runoff as well, between third-generation crop farmer Jamie Davis (47.4%) and business executive Gary Crockett (26.3%). Davis won the nomination with 79.9%.
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