Colorado progressives are putting congressional Democrats to a major test
We preview all of Tuesday's top primaries
The three most prominent Democrats in Colorado’s congressional delegation are in the hot seat on Tuesday as primary voters decide whether to back challengers pitching themselves as alternatives to the status quo.
Sen. John Hickenlooper faces a challenge from a self-described “insurgent progressive” who thinks it’s time for Hickenlooper’s long career to end.
Fellow Sen. Michael Bennet, by contrast, is trying to leave Washington, D.C. to become governor. The one-time frontrunner, however, is locked in a tough battle against a rival who says he’s failed to stand up to Donald Trump in Congress.
And Rep. Diana DeGette faces the toughest reelection campaign of her career as the 15-term incumbent tries to avoid becoming the seventh House member to lose renomination in 2026.
But that’s not the only storyline to watch on Tuesday in the Centennial State, which has the evening all to itself. Democrats will be choosing their nominees for three vulnerable House seats, including one district where a Republican incumbent will find out if Trump’s bizarre decision to play yo-yo with his endorsement has done him irreversible damage.
Below is our guide to the major races to watch. You can find an interactive map of all eight of the state’s congressional districts from Dave’s Redistricting App.
When it’s available, we’ll tell you about any reliable polling that exists for each contest, but if we don’t mention any numbers, it means no recent surveys have been made public.
The polls close at 9 PM ET/ 7 PM local time. Join The Downballot on our private Discord server to discuss the election returns with fellow community members as they come in!
Tuesday will mark the end of what’s been nine straight weeks of primaries, but it’s far from the end of the 2026 primary season.
The action will pick back up again on July 21 when Arizona goes to the polls, with far more to come across the country two weeks later. Be sure to bookmark our primary calendar, which includes the dates for the many states that are still on tap.
CO-Sen (D) (54-43 Harris)
Sen. John Hickenlooper is running for what he says will be his second and final term, but state Sen. Julie Gonzales thinks the veteran Colorado Democrat needs to go now.
Gonzales, a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, began her campaign last year by faulting the senator for voting to confirm almost half of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.
The challenger, who at 43 is more than three decades younger than Hickenlooper, argues her campaign would represent a major change from the “old-playbook politics” of the incumbent, a vocal centrist who previously served as both mayor of Denver and as governor.
Hickenlooper, by contrast, has largely avoided talking about his opponent. The senator, who has adopted more progressive rhetoric during this campaign, has instead argued he remains an effective voice for Colorado.
A Colorado Community Research poll conducted in mid-May showed Hickenlooper ahead just 41-34, but that unexpectedly close result did not convince major progressive donors or groups to invest in Gonzales. Hickenlooper has instead retained a huge financial lead over his opponent, and his allies, apparently unworried, have spent little on his behalf.
The winner will be the heavy favorite against state Sen. Mark Baisley, who has the Republican side to himself, in a former swing state that’s moved decisively to the left during the Trump era.
CO-Gov (D & R) (54-43 Harris)
Sen. Michael Bennet, long the favorite to become the next governor of Colorado, is now locked in an unpredictable primary against Attorney General Phil Weiser.
