DENVER | In the 6th Congressional District, it will be a race between former Army Ranger Jason Crow and Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Coffman, a marine corps veteran.
In accepting the nomination to a room full of supporters in Aurora, Crow said his campaign is “battle tested,” a nod to his military experience.
“We’re going to get up tomorrow and keep going,” Crow told the Sentinel.
Crow held a lead of about 66 percent to 34 percent all night.
He thanked his wife, kids, campaign staff, supporters and primary opponent Levi Tillemann, who ran to the left of Crow.
Tillemann gained national attention after releasing an audio recording between him and Rep. Steny Hoyer, a top House Democrat. Hoyer said Democrats had already chosen to back Crow in attempt to turn the district blue. Even so, Tillemann said he’ll root for a “blue wave” in November, but believed the “Democrats need to clean up its act.”
He also released a campaign video in which he used pepper spray on himself to show it could work in fighting off school shooters.
Tillemann said his campaign made Crow a stronger campaigner, speaker and, ultimately, candidate.
“He wouldn’t be here without us,” Tillemann said.
Crow told his supporters that the campaign will face attacks in the coming months, not all of which will be fair.
“Coloradans are ready to turn the page on our political dysfunction and usher in the new era of leaders,” Crow said.
He said he would reject hyper-partisanship and put people first, something he said he doesn’t believe Coffman has done.
Coffman’s campaign congratulated Crow on being the nominee in a news release, but a spokesman said the congressman is ready.
“Jason Crow is a white collar defense lawyer with a laundry list of shady criminal clients and a longer list of left-wing special interest financial backers that bought him the Democratic primary,” said Coffman campaign manager Tyler Sandberg. “But still, congratulations to Jason Crow and Nancy Pelosi on defeating the guy who sprayed mace in his own face. Mike Coffman and his army of supporters are ready for the next round.”
Colorado governor
Colorado’s primary delivered a left-versus-Trump showdown for this year’s gubernatorial elections, with Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Polis squaring off against Republican state Treasurer Walker Stapleton for a seat that Republicans haven’t held in this purple state in more than a decade.
The liberal Polis, a five-term congressman, and Stapleton, who embraced President Donald Trump’s immigration and tax policies, wasted no time in trading barbs following their primary victories Tuesday.
“Make no mistake: As governor, Jared Polis will raise every tax and fee he can to take more money from hardworking Coloradans,” Stapleton said.
“People are tired of hearing that divisive political rhetoric,” Polis said. “They want a governor who can unite rather than divide them. I can work with Trump when we need to, but I am not beholden to him.”
As a Democrat, Polis is an early, though far from guaranteed, favorite to become Colorado’s next governor. Colorado’s last Republican governor was Bill Owens, who served from 1999 to 2007. Centrist Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper is term-limited.
In other races, Democrat Jason Crow won the primary in suburban Denver’s 6th Congressional District to try to unseat five-term Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman. Doug Lamborn, the six-term Republican congressman in El Paso County’s 5th Congressional District, easily won his primary and is a heavy favorite to keep the seat.
Polis, a tech entrepreneur and one of the wealthiest members of Congress, advocates single-payer health care, local control over Colorado’s $31 billion oil and gas industry and lofty renewable energy goals for the state.
He invested $12 million in his campaign and is a fierce critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies and efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Polis also wants to secure free preschool and kindergarten for all Colorado children.
Stapleton, a distant relative of President George W. Bush, closely wedded himself to Trump on virtually every issue — even refusing to condemn the Trump administration’s immigrant family separation policies — except trade, where he opposes tariffs that could produce a trade war and harm Colorado industries.
He welcomed the federal repeal in the individual mandate that helps subsidize the Affordable Care Act and has pledged to fight any public expansion, especially when it comes to Medicaid.
Stapleton attacked Polis as someone who would chase energy jobs out of Colorado, and he also opposes Polis’ pledge to modify a constitutional amendment that severely restricts Colorado’s ability to raise taxes or spending.
Polis argues that Colorado’s rapid population growth — 5.6 million people and counting — demands a fiscal system that allows the state to invest needed billions of dollars in its underfunded infrastructure and public education.
A former state board of education member and founder of English-language schools for immigrants, Polis defeated former state Treasurer Cary Kennedy, who was endorsed by Colorado’s teachers unions. Former state Sen. Mike Johnston, an educator and gun control advocate, and Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne also ran.
Stapleton defeated former state Rep. Vic Mitchell, who invested nearly $5 million in his own campaign; Doug Robinson, a first-time candidate and nephew of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; and businessman Greg Lopez.
A voter-approved initiative in 2016 allowed unaffiliated voters, Colorado’s largest voting bloc, to participate in either the Democratic or the Republican primary. Early numbers showed more than 30 percent of active voters cast ballots, a high percentage for a primary in a non-presidential election year.
Colorado State Treasurer
State Rep. Dave Young has won the Democratic primary for treasurer.
The lawmaker from Greeley handily defeated Bernard Douthit, a businessman and political newcomer from Denver.
Young will face the winner of a tightly contested Republican primary in November. Incumbent state Treasurer Walker Stapleton is term-limited and running for governor.
5th Congressional District — Colorado Springs
U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn has won the Republican primary to represent Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.
Lamborn came back from a political near-death experience. The Colorado Supreme Court in April ruled he couldn’t be on the primary ballot due to a technical error in his campaign’s collection of supporters’ signatures.
But Lamborn was able to overturn the ruling in federal court and defeat a strong challenge from other Republicans in his Colorado Springs district.
The six-term congressman beat Darryl Glenn, who was the party’s 2016 U.S. Senate nominee, state senator Owen Hill and two other Republicans. He is the favorite for re-election in November given the district’s overwhelmingly Republican tilt.
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