Colorado 'Blue Wave': Polis, Crow, Neguse Declare Victory

ACROSS COLORADO –Coloradans woke up to a Blue Wave in the state with all four state officers –governor, secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general – appearing to be elected Democrats, as well as Democratic majorities in all three state levels of government.

Mechanical glitches in four counties prevented statewide complete vote totals, until mid-morning Wednesday.

Republican attorney general candidate George Brauchler finally conceded Wednesday afternoon. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Democrat Phil Weiser was up by 41,644 votes and had received 951,332 votes, or 49.67 percent of the tallied vote to Brauchler's 909,688 votes (47.49 percent). Libertarian candidate William Robinson won 54,474 votes, or 2.84 percent.

Democrat Phil Weiser declared unilateral victory Tuesday. A first-time candidate and former Dean of CU's law school and a former member of presidents Obama and Clinton's Department of Justice teams, Weiser has said he would focus on the national role attorneys general play in U.S. policy.

Republican treasurer candidate businessman Brian Watson also dragged his feet with a concession, although he was clearly behind top vote-getter Greeley state legislator and college instructor Democrat David Young who had 909,688 votes, or 50.56 percent of the vote. Watson's total Wednesday morning was 892,058, or 46.88 percent. Action Party candidate Gerald F. Kilpatrick won 48,581, or 2.84 percent.

Polis declares early

Democrat multi-millionaire Congressman Jared Polis was first to declare victory, in the Colorado Governor's race, by 8 p.m. Polis was ahead in early returns with 51.34 percent of the vote.

By Wednesday morning, with 100 percent of counties reporting, Polis had gained 998,916 votes, or 51.58 percent of the vote. Republican Walker Stapleton was the second top vote-getter with 870,844 votes, or 44.97 percent. Libertarian Scott Helker and Unity Party's Bill Hammons received 48,188 2.49 percent) and 18,499 (0.96 percent) votes respectively.

"In Colorado, we dare, we dream and we do," Polis said in his victory speech. "Whether it's embracing big ideas or hiking our amazing mountains, we don't back down when something is challenging. We see problems as opportunities in our state of Colorado."

Polis will be the first Jewish governor of Colorado and the first openly gay governor in the United States. His partner, Marlon Reis, and their two children joined Polis on stage.

The race was financially lopsided from the beginning, with Polis dumping $23 million of his own funds into what was to become a total of $200 million spent on the election. Polis refused any individual donation above $100 and has brought in only about half-a-million from individual donations. Stapleton’s campaign spent about $4 million, as of the most recent campaign finance disclosures. The two-term treasurer dumped about $1 million of his own cash into the race during the Republican primary race.

Other statewide races

Secretary of State

Democrat voting rights attorney and first-time candidate Jena Griswold declared victory over incumbent Republican Wayne Williams for Secretary of State. With 32 percent of counties reporting, Williams conceded the race around 9:40 p.m.

Wednesday morning, Griswold had gained 974,233 votes, or 50.87 percent to Williams's 896,366 votes, or 46.80 percent. Third-party candidates Amanda Campbell and Blake Huber won 35,875 votes (1.87 percent) and 8,732 votes (0.46 percent), respectively.

Colorado’s 6th Congressional District

Democrat Jason Crow declared victory in Colorado's 6th Congressional District against five-term Republican incumbent Mike Coffman.

The race was closely watched as a bellwether to see if a so-called "blue wave" election would bring Democrats into a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives –which is what happened.

Crow called for unity and change after a race that was as much about the Republican leadership in the White House as in Colorado.

"We set out with a goal to bring new leadership to the country and move us forward again. It was a bold idea for someone who had never run for office before," Crow said to a crowd at a Greenwood Village hotel. "Today, we achieved it."

On Wednesday morning with 100 percent of counties reporting, Crow had a commanding lead of 151,239 votes, or 53.12 percent to Coffman's 125,963 votes, or 44.24 percent. Libertarian Kat Martin and UAF party's Dan Chapin gained 4,114 (1.45 percent) and 3,383 (1.19 percent) respectively.

Crow campaigned heavily in the Republican areas of the district in suburban Douglas County, talking to suburbanites, especially women in Greenwood Village, Highlands Ranch and Centennial. Crow, as part of a national Democratic strategy, tried to drive a wedge into these traditionally Republican areas by holding town halls talking about gun control, school violence and his own children.

Coffman, known for his constituent services and support for immigrants rights–in the face of President Donald Trump – had faced tough challengers before. Coffman had previously beaten well-funded Democrats in his district with large immigrant populations which wraps to the east around Denver through Aurora and into Littleton. But this time, Democrats managed to break Coffman's hold on the district.

Coffman saw support evaporate from national Republican funding organizations late in the campaign when the national GOP clawed back $1 million in promised television ad support in late October.

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Related: 2018 Election Results: Vote A Referendum On 'Trump's GOP'

Colorado State Ballot Initiatives

Voters rejected many ballot initiatives from mandatory setbacks for oil and gas drilling (Proposition 112) to education funding (Amendment 73) to competing proposals for transportation infrastructure.

See how electors voted here:

Related: Election 2018 Results: Ballot Measures For Colorado

Related: Proposition 112 Rejected By Voters

Other statewide races

Secretary of State

Democrat voting rights attorney and first-time candidate Jena Griswold declared victory over incumbent Republican Wayne Williams for Secretary of State. With 32 percent of counties reporting, Williams conceded the race around 9:40 p.m.

Wednesday morning, Griswold had gained 974,233 votes, or 50.87 percent to Williams's 896,366 votes, or 46.80 percent. Third-party candidates Amanda Campbell and Blake Huber won 35,875 votes (1.87 percent) and 8,732 votes (0.46 percent), respectively.

Other Metro Denver Congressional Districts results:

Colorado 1st Congressional District

Ten-term Congresswoman Diana DeGette, House Chief Deputy Whip, was easily the top vote-getter with 147,329, or 71.57 percent of the vote compared to Republican Casper Stockham and Librtarian Raymon Doan with 53,382 (29.53 percent) and 5,135 (2.49 percent) respectively. DeGette was first elected in 1997 to the seat formerly held by groundbreaking female Colorado Congresswoman Pat Schroeder.

Colorado 2nd Congressional District

Democrat Joe Neguse was the early winner in the four-way race, receiving 211,340 votes, or 60.26 percent, compared to 120,546 (34.37 percent) for Republican Peter Yu. Libertarian Roger Barris and Boulder Independent Nick Thomas got 6,687 (1.91 percent) and 12,150 (3.46 percent) of the votes respectively by Wednesday.

Neguse, an attorney and the son of Eritrean immigrants, will be the first African American Congressman from Colorado. He grew up in Littleton and served as regent for the University of Colorado (his alma mater) and works as executive director of Colorado's Department of Regulatory Agencies. Neguse jumped into the race when it became clear that five-term Congressman Jared Polis would be running for governor.

7th Congressional District

Incumbent Congressman Ed Perlmutter was easily the top vote-getter in final returns with 150,385, or 59.70 percent of the final vote. Republican small business owner Mark Barrington won 92,630 or 36.77 percent of the vote, while Libertarian Jennifer Nackerud won 8,904 or 3.53 percent.

Perlmutter flirted with running for governor, but, facing Polis’s millions, pulled out of the race then almost quit politics altogether, but ended up running for re-election for the 7th District seat he’s represented since 2007. Perlmutter’s family suffered losses this year when his nephew was killed by a train in Louisville and the family patriarch Len Perlmutter died at 92 in July.

Suburban State Senate Races: Democrats Flip the Legislature Blue

This election, Colorado Democrats had their eyes on gaining a majority in the State Senate, where the Republicans had a one-member majority. With several state senators term-limited out, Dems made their moves early with a well- organized financing effort, and strong, mostly female candidates.

Swing districts in metro-Denver ran savvy female Democrats against incumbents, or in open races, with an additional $12 million coming in from outside groups.

State Sen. Dist. 16

In State Sen. Dist. 16, Tammy Story beat incumbent Republican Tim Neville. Story had a wide lead with 35,061 votes or 55.34 percent of the vote. Neville had received 26,668 votes, or 42.09 percent. Libertarian James Gillman won 1,629 or 2.57 percent of the votes.

Story, an education reformer and mother from Conifer, helped recall three members on the Jefferson County school board after a divisive debate over conservative school policies.

State Sen. Dist. 20 (Open)

Democrat State Rep. Jessie Danielson gained a significant win over Arvada mortgage broker Republican Christine Jensen. By Wednesday morning, Danielson had 37,057 votes, or 53.79 percent, while Jensen had 29,806 votes, or 43.26 percent. Libertarian Charles Messick won 2,032, or 2.95 percent of the votes.

Danielson jumped into the state senate race after incumbent Democrat Cheri Jahn, who served since 2010, was term-limited out.

State Sen. Dist. 22 (Open)

In State Senate District 22, Former Democratic state rep Brittany Pettersen had a win over Republican Tony Sanchez, of Littleton. Pettersen received 30,126 votes, or 57.02 percent to Sanchez's 22,708, or 42.98 percent. Pettersen jumped into the race when Democratic incumbent Andy Kerr was term-limited out.

First-Time Latino Denver Democratic Statehouse Candidates Create a New Cohort In 2018.

In Denver’s Statehouse races, where open seats generated primaries in June, a cohort of progressive newbie Democratic candidates were the top vote-getters, and most of them are Latino. After winning elections, in heavily Democratic districts, they will bring a new team of Latino progressive representation to the statehouse.

State Sen. Dist. 32 (Open)

Rodriguez won easily with 27,697 votes, or 70.88 percent against the 9,911 votes (25.36 percent) cast for Mark Calonder (Republican) and the 1,470 (3.76 percent) for Peter Lucas Smith (Independent) in final returns. The seat is open because Incumbent state Sen. Irene Aguilar is term-limited. Democrat Robert Rodriguez 49, has served as former vice chair of the Democratic Party of Denver but ran for the first time in the June Democratic primary. Rodriguez was specifically working to boost minority representation in local politics, and now he will be that representation himself. Rodriguez beat out two other opponents in the June primary.

“If I want to represent my values — look at everything through a lens of how it affects people, rather than how it benefits corporations, I can only trust myself. So I waded in,” Rodriguez told the Denverite in June.
State Sen. Dist. 34 (Open)

Julie Gonzales (Democrat) easily won with 25,258 votes, or 82.14 percent, against Gordon Alley (Republican), who won 5,492 votes (17.86 percent). Incumbent state Sen. Lucia Guzman is term-limited. A graduate of Yale University, Gonzales co-founded the leading Hispanic nonprofit advocacy group the Colorado Latino Forum and pushed for a hotly contested 2013 bill to allow undocumented immigrants to attend college and pay in-state tuition.

State House Dist. 4 (Open)

Serena Gonzalez-Gutierrez was the top vote-getter winning 13,394 votes (81.79 percent) against stealth Republican Robert 'Dave' John who got 2,983, or 18.21 percent. House District 4 State Rep. Don Pabon was term-limited. Gonzalez-Gutierrez, daughter of Denver 1960s Chicano activist Corky Gonzalez has worked many years with juveniles in the criminal justice system, but taking part in Emerge Colorado trained her to run for office, she said.

State House Dist. 5 (Open)

Businessman Alex Valdez was top vote-getter in final returns, winning 12,096 votes, or 78.09 percent against Katherine E Whitney (Republican) and Libertarian Rory Lamberton, who received 2,990 (19.30 percent) and 404 (2.61 percent) respectively. State House Democratic Chair Crisanta Duran is term-limited out. Valdez founded residential solar company EcoMark Solar. His campaign describes him as a “Proud member of the LGBTQ community.” Valdez, who grew up in Aurora, was a Democratic precinct captain in House District 5 and a protege of Duran.

Other Denver area races:

State House Dist. 9 (Open)

Democrat Emily Sirota was the top vote-getter in final returns with 15,317 votes, or 70.37 percent against Republican Robert Jude Lane, who received 6,450 votes (29.63 percent). Dubbed the #MeToo district, Dist. 9 lost its long-time incumbent Paul Rosenthal after he was one of several Colorado lawmakers accused of sexual harassment last fall. Rosenthal failed to get enough delegate votes in early district assembly meetings and Emily Sirota won the primary, with a special endorsement from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.

State House Dist. 1

Susan Lontine (Democrat) Incumbent won easily with 8,991 votes (61.50 percent) against GOP candidate Alysia Padilla and Libertarian Darrell Dinges with 5,136 (35.13 percent) and 493 (3.37 percent) respectively.

State House Dist. 2 Alec Garnett (Democrat) incumbent was unopposed.

State House Dist. 6 Christopher Hansen (Democrat) incumbent was unopposed.

State House Dist. 7

James Rashad Coleman (Democrat) won with 12,681 votes, or 82.55 percent against Republican Jay Frank Kucera, who got 2,680 votes (17.45 percent).

State House Dist. 8 Leslie Herod (Democrat) incumbent was unopposed.

Jefferson County Statehouse Races

State House Dist.23

Incumbent Democrat Chris Kennedy won re-election, gaining 17,882 votes, or 61.75 percent against Republican Joan Poston, who won 11,075 votes, or 38.25 percent.

State House Dist. 24 (Open)

Wheat Ridge city council member, Democrat Monica Duran was the top vote-getter with 18,734 votes, or 62.43 percent, beating JeffCo Republican Arthur Erwin, who received 11,274 votes (37.57 percent). Duran ran for the seat in House District 24 after Rep. Jessie Danielson jumped into the race for State Senate District 20.

State House Dist. 25 (Open)

Democrat and professional publicist Lisa A Cutter won in Dist. 25, receiving a total of 20,016 votes (52.51 percent) against Republican pinch-hitter Steve Szutenbach, of Evergreen, who got 18,100 votes, or 47.49 percent.

State House Dist. 27

In the area's closest race, Republican Vicki Pyne (Republican) won by 200 votes with 18,765, or 50.27 percent. Democrat Brianna Titone got 18,565 votes, or 49.73 percent. This Republican seat was formerly held by Sias Lang, who stepped down to run for Republican Lt. Governor on the ticket with Walker Stapleton.

State House Dist. 28

Kerry Tipper, the daughter of beloved Lakewood English teacher Edward Tipper, a WWII vet whose story was told in the film Band of Brothers, was the top vote-getter, receiving 15,792 votes, or 58 percent of the vote. Republican Kristina Joy Alley and Libertarian Ross Klopf got 10,693 (39.27 percent) and 744 (2.73 percent) respectively in final returns.

State House Dist. 29

Tracy Kraft-Tharp (Democrat) Incumbent was top vote-getter with 15,244votes, or 57.75 percent, beating Republican Grady Nouis and Hans V Romer (Libertarian) who had 10,145 (38.43 percent) and 1,009 (3.82 percent) respectively.

Littleton-Area Candidates

Candidates running in the Littleton area are metro-Denver's most reliable Republican-leaning areas, which include parts of Douglas and Arapahoe Counties.

State Sen. Dist. 30

Incumbent Republican Senate Majority Leader small businessman Chris Holbert, of Parker was top vote-getter with 37,916 votes, or 53.25 percent. Holbert beat Democrat retired aerospace engineer Julia Varnell-Sarjeant, of Highlands Ranch and Independent Steve Peterson, who got 29,439 (41.35 percent) and 3,848 (5.40 percent) votes respectively. Holbert was elected to the House in 2010, where he served for four years. He was then elected to the Senate in 2014. He became Senate Majority Leader in 2016.

State House Dist. 3

Incumbent Democrat Jeff Bridges appeared was the top vote-getter with 19,068 votes cast, or 60.28 percent against GOP first-time Republican candidate, healthcare CEO Toren Mushovic who received 12,567 votes, or 39.72 percent.

State House Dist. 22 (Open)

Republican coffee shop owner Colin Larson, was top vote-getter with 17,247 votes (53.40 percent) against Democrat Todd Kastetter, who received 15,049 votes or 46.60 percent. This GOP-leaning seat was left vacant when Littleton's Justin Everett, tried, but failed, to win a three-way race for GOP nomination for state treasurer.

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