Co. 6th Dist: Jason Crow Declares Victory vs. Mike Coffman

AURORA, CO Democrat Jason Crow declared victory Tuesday night 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 – has 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.

Images via Crow campaign website