Colorado's 6th Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Democratic primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 29[2]
- Early voting: Mail ballots available Oct. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID required for in-person voting
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
2020 →
← 2016c
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| Colorado's 6th Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 20, 2018 |
| Primary: June 26, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Mike Coffman (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Colorado |
| Race ratings |
Cook Political Report: Lean Democratic Inside Elections: Tilt Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| See also |
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th Colorado elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 |
Attorney and former Army Ranger Jason Crow (D) defeated entrepreneur and academic Levi Tillemann (D) in the Democratic primary for Colorado's 6th District.
The primary was another showdown between a candidate supported by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and one running with progressive support.
This Democratic-leaning district supported Hillary Clinton (D) over Donald Trump (R) by nine points in the 2016 presidential election. Crow received early support from the DCCC, which named him to its "Red to Blue" program. While not an endorsement, it gave him access to DCCC strategic guidance, staff resources, and candidate training.[3]
Tillemann had endorsements from state Sen. Rhonda Fields (D) and the Progressive Democrats of America.[4] He criticized out-of-state involvement in the race. Tillemann released a tape-recorded conversation with House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer in which he argued that the DCCC should stay out of primaries. Hoyer urged Tillemann to drop out of the race, saying the decision to back Crow had been made a long time ago.
Crow reported $883,747 cash on hand in the first quarter of 2018, while Tillemann reported $91,920.
| Colorado voter? Dates you need to know. | |
|---|---|
| Primary election | June 26, 2018 |
| Candidate filing deadline | March 20, 2018 |
| Registration deadline | June 26, 2018 |
| Absentee application deadline | Colorado uses a vote-by-mail system exclusively |
| General election | November 6, 2018 |
| Voting information | |
| Primary type | Semi-closed |
| Polling place hours | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day. | |
For more on related elections, please see:
- Colorado's 6th Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Republican primary)
- Colorado's 6th Congressional District election, 2018
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
- Democratic Party primaries in Colorado, 2018
- Republican Party primaries in Colorado, 2018
Candidates and election results
Jason Crow defeated Levi Tillemann in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 6 on June 26, 2018.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 6
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jason Crow | 65.9 | 49,851 |
 | Levi Tillemann | 34.1 | 25,757 | |
| Total votes: 75,608 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- David Aarestad (D)
- Erik Stanger (D)
Candidates
Jason Crow
Crow's professional experience includes working as an attorney. He was an advisor to former President Barack Obama during his re-election campaign on military and veteran issues and co-chaired Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Veterans Affairs Transition Committee.
Prior to working as an attorney, Crow served in the U.S. Army after spending time as an ROTC member during his college years. He also served in the National Guard.[5]
Crow's campaign platform included universal healthcare, a detailed firearms policy, affordable housing, and changes to the U.S. immigration policy.[6] He was endorsed in the primary by organizations such as NARAL Pro-Choice America, Vote Vets, and End Citizen's United, as well as multiple state senators and representatives.[7]
Levi Tillemann
Tillemann's professional experience includes serving as a technology and innovation advisor. His commentary has appeared in Slate, The New Yorker, and Fortune. He is also the author of The Great Race: The Global Quest for the Car of the Future. He founded IRIS Engines, Inc., and was an advisor in the Energy Department during the Obama administration.
Tillemann earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and earned a degree from Yale University.[8]
Tillemann's campaign platform included firearms legislation proposals such as banning assault weapons and 10-day waiting periods after purchasing firearms, universal healthcare, and changes to the tax code.[9] He was endorsed by state Sen. Rhonda Fields (D) and the Progressive Democrats of America.
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Democratic Party factional conflict
Disputes between candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and candidates outside the official organs of the Democratic Party occurred in U.S. House primaries in 2018.
The DCCC, a campaign arm of the Democratic National Committee, endorsed candidates who party leaders believed had the best chance of defeating Republican incumbents.[10]
Some criticized the DCCC's choices. Ryan Grim and Lee Fang wrote in The Intercept, for example, "In district after district, the national party is throwing its weight behind candidates who are out of step with the national mood."[11]
In this primary, the DCCC endorsed Jason Crow.[10]
The chart below shows a scorecard for how the DCCC performed in competitive Democratic primaries that featured at least one DCCC-endorsed candidate and one other Democratic candidate.
| U.S. House Democratic factions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faction | Primary victories in 2018 | |||||||||||
| Endorsed by DCCC | 31 | |||||||||||
| Not endorsed by DCCC | 2 | |||||||||||
Unaffiliated voters in Colorado primaries
The June 26, 2018, primaries were the first chance that Colorado voters unaffiliated with either major party had to participate in partisan primaries. The state's 1.1 million unaffiliated voters received mail-in ballots from their county clerks and were not able to opt out of receiving a ballot. If a voter did not request a ballot from one party, she or he received ballots for both parties. Voters could only complete a ballot for one party's primary. If the voter completed both party ballots, the ballots were invalidated.
County officials recommended that voters mail their ballots in by June 16. If voters chose to drop their ballots off at their county election offices, they had until 7:00 PM MT on June 26.[12]
This change in the voting system came from Proposition 108, a 2016 initiated state statute approved by 53.3 percent of voters. Prior to the passage of Proposition 108, Colorado utilized a closed primary system where only voters registered with a political party could participate. Unaffiliated voters were able to affiliate with one of the parties on election day if they chose.
Endorsements
| Democratic primary endorsements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Jason Crow | Levi Tillemann | |
| Federal officials | |||
| Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)[13] | ✔ | ||
| Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.)[14] | ✔ | ||
| National figures | |||
| Gabby Giffords | ✔ | ||
| State officials | |||
| State Sen. Irene Aguilar (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Sen. Angela Williams (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. Janet Buckner (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. James Coleman (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. Mike Foote (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. Alec Garnett (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. Chris Hansen (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. Dominique Jackson (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. Jovan Melton (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D) | ✔ | ||
| Colorado State Board of Education Member Rebecca McClellan | ✔ | ||
| State Sen. Rhonda Fields (D-Colo.)[4] | ✔ | ||
| Local officials | |||
| Stan Garnett, Boulder District Attorney | ✔ | ||
| Eva Henry, Adams County Commissioner | ✔ | ||
| Bill Holen, Arapahoe County Commissioner | ✔ | ||
| Steve O’Dorisio, Adams County Commissioner | ✔ | ||
| Chaz Tedesco, Adams County Commissioner | ✔ | ||
| Organizations | |||
| New Politics[13] | ✔ | ||
| Sierra Club[15] | ✔ | ||
| Colorado AFL-CIO | ✔ | ||
| Colorado Education Association | ✔ | ||
| VoteVets[13] | ✔ | ||
| Pipefitter Local 208 | ✔ | ||
| Teamsters Local 455 | ✔ | ||
| NARAL Pro-Choice America | ✔ | ||
| End Citizen's United | ✔ | ||
| Council for a Livable World | ✔ | ||
| Moms Demand Action | ✔ | ||
| Progressive Democrats of America[16] | ✔ | ||
| PAC's | |||
| Blue Rising PAC | ✔ | ||
Campaign themes and policy stances
Campaign themes
The campaign themes below were taken from the candidates' 2018 websites.
Jason Crow
Better Jobs and More Economic Opportunity Coloradans deserve good-paying jobs that can support their families. Despite Colorado’s relatively low unemployment rate, too many families within the 6th District are facing economic hardship. Wages and benefits have failed to keep up with the cost of living in Colorado, especially in the expensive Metro area. Hardworking Coloradans are struggling to raise their families and achieve the American Dream.
By investing in workforce development, apprenticeship training, and growing industries like healthcare, technology, and renewable energy, we can open the door to career advancement and better opportunities for Colorado families. I fought alongside other veterans to bring the new VA hospital to Aurora and will continue my fight to bring similar high-paying jobs to the 6th District.
We must attract better jobs that have good wages and benefits to ensure that Coloradans can afford a home, finance a college education or specialized job training, access health care, and save for retirement. We also must make sure that all work provides dignity and living wages. In addition to ensuring good wages, benefits, and educational opportunities, we must work to ensure that our economy provides opportunities for people to move up the economic ladder by defending consumer protections and corporate oversight. For many families, child care, home ownership, and retirement are all economic barriers. We must reduce these barriers for people so that they have opportunities to get ahead.
Campaign Finance Reform
Washington is broken. Politicians are in the pockets of the special interests that spend millions of dollars to get them elected. They stack the decks for their donors and Colorado families pay the price. We can unrig the system by ending the flood of unlimited and undisclosed money that is drowning out the voices of regular people. I will fight to bring accountability to Washington and end the corrupting influence of special interest money so that our government serves all Coloradans, not just big donors. This is why I have promised not to take a dime of corporate PAC money. I will fight to end the influence of dark money in politics, keep foreign money out of US politics, commit to openness and transparency in my own congressional office, support the DISCLOSE Act, and fight to overturn Citizens United.
Civil Rights and Criminal Justice Reform
We cannot ignore inequities that still exist in many communities and the effects they have on communities of color. It is the duty of anyone who believes in our nation’s core values, to stand up with one voice and clearly denounce all forms of bigotry and hatred. American communities have been torn apart by injustices facing communities of color. We must acknowledge this and tackle inequities where they exist so that we can provide safety, opportunity, and dignity for all Americans. I fought beside soldiers who came from different racial, religious, and economic backgrounds – people who forged bonds and became brothers and sisters. We need to move toward a place of respect, understanding, and honesty so that we can make those same strides in Colorado communities.
In Congress, I will fight for justice and equal treatment for all by promoting criminal justice policies to improve law enforcement, reduce incarceration, decriminalize marijuana, and strengthen communities. Mass incarceration, unequal application of the justice system based on race and class, and the long-term impacts of incarceration on employment, housing, and re-integration point to a criminal justice system in need of reform. I support innovative, data-based reforms such as restorative justice that are designed to keep the public safer and address the underlying causes of crimes. Nationally, roughly 77% of those released from prison are rearrested within five years. Research shows that longer sentences actually make recidivism more, not less likely. The deck is stacked against individuals with a criminal conviction who struggle to re-enter the workforce, find stable housing, and maintain a steady paycheck – challenges that greatly increase the chances of recidivism. Many of those in the criminal justice system suffer from mental illness or substance abuse, and prisons remain ill-equipped to offer treatment and rehabilitation services.
We must protect and strengthen our communities. We must work to fight discrimination in our criminal justice sentencing. We must protect voting rights and all civil rights. In my civic work I’ve helped bridge the trust divide between law enforcement and our community. I’ve worked to reform law enforcement training to better address the inequities facing our communities of color. In Congress I will continue this work to protect civil rights and community safety.
Defending our Democracy
America’s democratic institutions and the Rule of Law must be defended. One of my proudest accomplishments is leading paratroopers in combat for this country. Wearing the American flag on my shoulder and fighting for America is something that left a lasting mark on my life and my values. I saw countries that struggled to enforce the Rule of Law, due process, and individual rights. I served in the Army in places of the world where citizens cannot depend on these pillars of democracy. When I came home, I continued my fight for these same values as I began my legal career and took another oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. I have experienced first-hand the strengths and weaknesses of our criminal justice system – including prosecuting criminal cases and representing those accused of crimes. Now, as a lawyer who specializes in conducting independent legal investigations, I know how critical Congress’ power to investigate is for understanding facts, discovering corruption and culpability, and holding people accountable.
We are faced with unprecedented challenges to our institutions and democratic norms. I will never waver in my fight to ensure that our democracy is strong and that Americans can trust their government and elected representatives. I am proud of my commitment to democratic values and in Congress I will draw on my prior service to this country and my legal skills to continue that fight every day.
Education
Young people should have access to high quality education, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. I owe much of my success to strong public neighborhood schools. Every child deserves the same. Colorado’s public school funding system has left too many children behind. In Congress, I will fight cuts in funding and voucher proposals that will only make this problem worse for Colorado’s families.
America has the best colleges, universities, and technical training in the world, but all too often our students cannot afford to pursue their education. Americans owe over $1.48 trillion in student loan debt. That’s about $620 billion more than the total U.S. credit card debt. We must ensure that student loans are affordable, costs of higher education are reasonable, and that community colleges and technical training opportunities are available and reliable so that job training and re-training for tomorrow’s economy is available to all Americans. All hardworking students should have the option to pursue education or advanced training without fear of a massive price tag. Hardworking students too often face the choice of bypassing higher education or taking on the burden of overwhelming student debt.
Our young people should not have to make the choice between an education and eventually owning a home. Congress, I will support legislation to allow people to re-finance and consolidate student loans, lower the costs of education and advanced training, and provide loan forgiveness to those who work in public service careers.
Environment
We must fight climate change and protect the Colorado that we love. Climate change is the defining issue of our age. This is not just a vague idea for my family or any family that enjoys Colorado’s beautiful outdoors. My children are 5th generation Coloradans and our family has seen the state change over the decades. Coloradans can already see the effects of long-term drought, higher temperatures, and natural disasters.
America must again be a global leader to help solve our world’s most pressing problems, and climate change is no different. We must re-engage with other nations to work towards climate solutions, including encouraging clean energy transitions. Pushing for renewable energy development will also help grow our economy and create good-paying jobs. I will also fight to ensure that our public lands are not sold off to the highest bidder or destroyed by irresponsible drilling and mining. We must fight to protect our clean air, clean water, and public health.
Communities across America depend on government funding to help treat drinking water, detect lead contamination, clean up abandoned mines and waste sites, and for other important projects to ensure our families are safe from pollution. Leaving a healthy planet for our children and grandchildren will always be a priority for me and should never be a pawn in political games.
Foreign Policy
American security and prosperity require a dynamic, nuanced, and influential foreign policy, where America projects its interests rather than withdraws behind our borders. I saw the power of America’s defense capabilities during my time in the Army, but also saw first-hand the importance of our diplomatic and development capacities. Over the last 20 years, our foreign policy has increasingly been defined by the three “D’s”—Diplomacy, Defense, and Development. While spending the largest portion of our budget on defense, our security and economic interests are increasingly dependent on negotiating through a complex, competitive, and often dangerous world. Diplomacy saves American lives. Our military leaders support diplomacy and development assistance as tools to avoid needless conflict that take the lives of American troops and civilians, and waste expensive military assets.
America needs to resume its global leadership position in international institutions, and promote human rights and democracy abroad. Our absence from global negotiations and our abrogating commitments has frightened our allies, weakened our alliances, and signaled to our enemies that we are weak. Retreating from our global leadership position is not an option, and will not move the world to a safer, cleaner, and more prosperous place for our children.
Gun Violence Protection
Each year, 33,000 Americans die from gun violence and another 130,000 are shot. Here in Colorado we’ve dealt with two of the nation’s worst mass shootings in Aurora and Littleton. Coloradans know that we do not have to choose between Second Amendment protections and safer communities. As a hunter and former Army Ranger, I know that there are many responsible gun owners in Colorado, but also knows what guns are capable of and that common-sense reforms are needed to reduce gun violence.
Simple, common-sense laws that are supported by a huge majority of Americans can help make our communities, schools, and homes safer from gun violence. Background checks have prevented over 2.4 million gun sales to felons, domestic abusers, and dangerously mentally ill individuals. But, loopholes still allow up to 40% of gun sales to go unchecked. Coloradans support closing these types of loopholes.
Mike Coffman has taken more money from the gun lobby than anyone else in Colorado’s Congressional delegation. I have pledged not only that I will not take any corporate PAC money, but I will never take a dime from the gun lobby. My priority in Congress will be to work towards solutions to gun violence and I will always put our children, our families, and our communities first.
Healthcare
Health care is a right, not a privilege. No American should suffer because they cannot afford health care. It is that simple. For too long, career politicians in Washington have played politics with the lives of Americans whose survival depends on affordable health care. We need to move past gridlock and work toward a bipartisan solution. The Affordable Care Act needs improvement in certain areas, but unlike Mike Coffman, I want to fix the system, rather than abandon it in favor of a tax break for the wealthy. We can begin by stabilizing the individual market and lowering prescription drug prices to increase competition and make them more affordable for consumers. We need to protect the health care of the tens of millions of Americans who now have coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act increased coverage so that 90% of Americans can access health care, but we cannot settle for less than coverage for all Americans. That’s why I believe that we must not only protect hard-won gains under the ACA, but also work towards universal health care. I will fight for a public option that will reduce costs for consumers and increase their choices. Over 170-million Americans get coverage through their employers and many of them want to keep their coverage. Another 20-million are covered by Medicare Advantage and do not want to lose their plan. Ensuring universal health care coverage while also not forcing people to give up coverage that works for them is a difficult balance. We must fight for universal coverage because no American should go bankrupt to afford health care for themselves or their family.
Housing Affordability
Ensuring that everyone has access to affordable housing is critical to ensuring the strength of our economy and the social fabric of our nation, and for too long Washington has ignored the growing housing crisis. Colorado, along with the rest of the nation, is facing an affordable housing crisis, and I will make increasing the supply of affordable housing one of my primary goals in Congress.
No one should be forced to choose between a roof over their heads, food on the table, medical care, or an education. We need our teachers, police, firefighters, health care workers, and other first responders to live in the communities they serve so that they are vested in the long-term outcomes of the cities in which they work and live. Housing prices and rents have risen too high and too quickly for most working families to afford a decent place to live.
Colorado has only 27 available affordable housing units for every 100 eligible renters. More than 290,000 households in Colorado are severely burdened by housing costs, spending more than 50% of their income for a roof over their heads, leaving little left over for other basic needs. We need to leverage government resources in partnership with private sector activity to create new affordable housing based on a multi-pronged approach that supports both for sale and rental housing.
Immigration
Our immigrant neighbors deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and our laws should reflect that. During my time in the Army, I served with people of all backgrounds, political persuasions, and nationalities. I served with immigrants whose commitment to our country was never questioned. All that mattered was that we had each other’s backs. The 6th District is home to over 100,000 immigrants who help make our community such a special place to live. These immigrants came to America in pursuit of a better life for their families.
I believe we should provide the Dreamers with a path towards citizenship and reform the immigration system to bring the millions of other undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and provides certainty to them and their families. I will support immigrants brought to America as children. They are vital for our economy, are eager to serve in our military or ready to thrive in our universities, and they came here through no fault of their own. Many of them also have family members who are American citizens. Family unity is a bedrock, core value of our society. Our immigration and visa policies must reflect that. Keeping families together has been part of our visa system for decades, and for good reason. We must insure that family-based immigration stands on equal footing with business- and skills-based immigration.
Making sure we have secure borders that prevent the illegal flow of weapons and drugs into America is a priority for every member of Congress. But, we need to be smarter about the border and not waste billions of dollars on an ineffective wall. A comprehensive approach to immigration reform and visa processing is also necessary. American businesses need workers in virtually all sectors – from agriculture and construction to hospitals and boardrooms.
We should support the policy that has been in place for generations allowing an expedited path to citizenship for people who serve in the military. For those who want to strengthen our nation and to provide for their families, we can find a way to welcome them.
LGBTQ Rights
No American should face discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. In 2012 I was honored to speak at the Democratic National Convention in support of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” I was extremely proud to speak on behalf of President Obama and to stand up for equality in the military. Since the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the LGBTQ community has won a few critical legal battles, including for marriage equality.
However, our LGBTQ neighbors continue to be a target of hate, discrimination, and unequal treatment under the law. It is no coincidence that LQBTQ youth have the highest rate of suicide in the nation. Retaliating against the success of marriage equality in 2015, many states are enacting draconian legislation that will allow businesses to refuse services to same-sex couples on the basis of religious freedom, and six states have already passed laws that prevent local governments from extending non-discrimination protections to same-sex couples.
We should continually strive to expand marriage equality, workplace protections, enforcement of hate crime laws, and protections for LGBTQ military personnel and veterans. In Congress I will continue fighting to ensure that LGBTQ Americans have the same rights and protections that all Americans should have, and to prevent the rollback of the progress that so many Americans have fought for.
Transportation and Infrastructure
The Colorado economy of tomorrow will be built on the roads, bridges, and infrastructure of today. Our infrastructure, once the envy of the world, is now crumbling and unsafe in many places. Not only do we need to fix today’s backlog of road and bridge projects, but we also must plan for tomorrow’s needs. This includes planning for population growth and more sustainable and affordable transportation options. Colorado’s 6th District has seen tremendous growth and development, but much of this has outpaced our local investments, seen most clearly in our water supply problems and traffic gridlock. Our infrastructure repairs, planning, and building must balance growth, economic development, and sustainable long-term solutions that benefit all Coloradans.
Beyond ensuring that our infrastructure remains safe into the future, we must also envision what Coloradans will need in the decades to come. We must invest in infrastructure and transportation systems that help us build tomorrow’s economy. I will focus on two main priorities to accomplish this: creating access for all Coloradans to high-speed internet and planning transportation systems that provide greater choice and sustainable options. We cannot continue to try to build bigger highways – experts know that this does not solve congestion problems. To solve our development and traffic problems we can build smarter, more innovative, and more sustainable solutions for the future.
Veterans
We must fight for those who fought for us by protecting veterans’ benefits, improving the benefits claims system, and improving access, quality, and timeliness of VA health care. I was proud to fight alongside some of the finest men and women this country has to offer. These veterans have earned their benefits and deserve the best care this country has to offer. We must fulfill our promises to the brave men and women who fight for us by protecting their medical care, access to mental health resources, compensation for service connected disabilities, education benefits, and by helping them transition to civilian life to include meaningful employment.
I also know that homelessness among veterans is unacceptable and will fight to care for our veterans. When I returned home after serving in the U.S. Army, I struggled to access my own benefits. This inspired me to begin fighting for veterans in Colorado. I worked with other veteran leaders and elected officials to secure the funding for the new VA hospital in Aurora. I help veterans as they transition to civilian life. I also donate hundreds of hours of legal pro bono work for veterans and organizations that work to help veterans with substance abuse and other issues. I will never stop fighting for those who served our country.
When we send men and women to fight our wars, we promise to take care of them and their families. The Veterans Administration was once known for its excellent health care system, but has been plagued by underfunding and mismanagement. I will work tirelessly to ensure that our veterans can rely on quality and timely medical care and mental health care and will fight attempts to privatize the VA. Nearly three million Americans have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When they return home, many struggle to transition back to civilian life. Protecting veterans’ education benefits and working to promote employment and career development of veterans can help ease this difficult transition for many veterans.
Women's Rights
Equal pay is not only a women’s issue – it is also a moral, family, and economic issue. As of 2015, nearly 45 percent of women mothers were the breadwinners for their families, yet they are still making .84 cents on the dollar in Colorado. In our country it is a moral issue to treat everyone equally for the work they do. Equal pay will also help grow our economy and support families by making home ownership, education, advanced training, and retirement more accessible for more Coloradans. Mike Coffman voted against equal pay for women. In Congress I will always fight to ensure that women are paid equally for the work they do.
Colorado families are working hard to make ends meet, a task made harder when a family welcomes a new child or someone falls sick and paid leave is not available. We cannot support parents, promote early childhood development, or care for our aging generations without policies that make it possible for American workers to care for their families without fear of losing pay or their jobs. I believe it is time to move our economy into the 21st century. That includes modern family leave policies. I will fight to ensure that all workers are able to care for their families without enduring financial hardship – whether they need sick time, parental leave, or time to care for family members.
Existing penalties are woefully inadequate to punish those who abused their power and violated the trust of their subordinates and the American people.We must hold our elected leaders to a higher standard of conduct. When ethics investigations find that members of Congress have committed sexual harassment or assault – or they resign to avoid the consequences of such an investigation – they should lose their congressional pension.
I will fight to protect a woman’s right to choose. Women should have the right to make health care decisions that are right for them and their families. It is truly shameful that we still have to defend a woman’s right to make her own health care choices. Stripping women’s health care funding from the federal budget and removing protections for women’s health care from our laws will hurt families across the country and in Colorado. In Congress, I will protect a woman’s right to choose, while simultaneously working to continue funding critical resources like Planned Parenthood. I will also fight to ensure that protections for maternity care are not removed from our health care laws and that families are able to take paid sick leave. I look at my daughter and cannot stand to think that she will have to wage this same fight when she is grown. But you do not have to have a daughter to support women and families across the country.[17]
Levi Tillemann
A New Day in Washington
Washington is broken.
The people who run for office, the people who get elected, and the way those elected officials act once they get to Washington are all symptoms of this broken system. Today, political sound-bites, half-truths, and outright lies peddled by politicians aren’t even about fighting for a cause, they’re about scoring the next cheap political point, winning the next election or dominating the next news cycle.
This campaign is about bringing fresh ideas to Washington to fix that broken system.
This issues section is focused on those new ideas. The Democratic Party platform aligns with my core beliefs and priorities in areas ranging from women's rights, to protecting social security, to promoting equality for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and supporting our armed forces and veterans. These progressive values are not up for debate. But there are other issues not covered by the party platform that I plan to highlight in this issues section. Some of these will take years or even decades to fully resolve. That's why we need to start working on them today.
This list isn't exhaustive and I encourage you to reach out and ask about my specific stances on topics not explicitly covered here. Regardless of the nature of the issue, I promise you this: I will pursue solutions that are guided by progressive values, the best available data and that are designed to break down the inequities of our system. We must fight for our progressive values, but we also must be open to imperfect, incremental solutions (like Obamacare, or DACA, or the Paris Climate Agreement) to help make people’s lives better now.
- I will always fight for what I believe is right
- I will be honest about my perspective on the problems we face
- I will listen to you, admit when I’m wrong, and be open to changing my opinions
- I will honestly discuss problems and provide a sober assessment of the challenges we face
- I will not treat my prospective constituents and contributors as though they can be tricked through focus-grouped sounds bites (e.g. “I plan to reaching across the aisle,” “I’m a unifier.”).
Washington is broken; We need to fix it; We need your help; Help us fix Washington today.
Guns
The problem
America's epidemic of gun deaths must be placed in context of the larger challenges confronting our community and our nation. Mike Coffman and the GOP have been silenced and neutered by the NRA. This despite the fact that these tragedies are no longer aberrations. The names of a growing list of American geographies are now used as shorthand for a defining gun massacre: Sandy Hook, Sutherland Springs, Orlando, Las Vegas, Aurora, Columbine and Parkland -- the list goes on.
This has to stop.
The scale of this rolling massacre is both deeply personal and historically unprecedented. Over the past decade we have lost more than 330,000 Americans to gun violence. In 2016, 38,000 lives were cut short; there were over 300 mass shootings. By comparison, during our 20-year involvement in Vietnam, America lost approximately 58,000 lives; as of Memorial Day 2017, America had lost almost 7,000 lives in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; And America lost 291,000 lives liberating Europe and Asia in World War II.
In the past two months, Colorado has lost multiple law enforcement officials to gun violence.
When it comes to gun safety, Washington has failed us. Our leaders have failed us. Donald Trump and the Republican Congress have failed us. Our Republican Congressman, Mike Coffman, has not only failed us, the Congressman for Aurora has distinguished himself by receiving more money from the gun lobby than any other member of the Colorado delegation. He has proactively helped lay the groundwork for these tragedies.
This has to stop, but stopping gun violence will require real, principled leadership and bold ideas. Democrats need to grow a spine and stop apologizing for working to solve this epidemic. We must stand up to the GOP, the party of the NRA. The right to bear arms must not be prioritized over our commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Americans, we need to stand up against a culture of toxic masculinity that teaches men that the way to show strength or solve problems is to pick up a gun.
The Solution
I call on Mike Coffman to return every cent he has received from the NRA, gun manufacturers and any person or entity that lobbies against aggressive action on gun control. Their murder for profit agenda has no place within Colorado’s Congressional delegation.
I call on the Republican-controlled Congress and the Trump administration to enact a ban on assault weapons. America’s death toll from mass shootings has risen precipitously since the ban’s expiration in 2004.
I call on Congress and all state legislatures and city and county councils in the United States to enact 10 day waiting periods for the purchase of all firearms.
I call on Congress to eliminate the gun show loophole and increase interagency cooperation on background checks
I call on Congress to enact a law that disallows individuals with a record of violent crime (e.g. domestic abuse) and animal abuse from owning firearms.
I call on Congress to enact a law that disallows an individual who appears on the no fly list from purchasing a gun.
I call on Congress to appropriate funding to the Center for Disease Control to research means of combating gun violence. All restrictions on interagency data-sharing should be immediately lifted and funding for this research should be equivalent to the funding for researching automotive safety (cars and guns are each responsible for more than 30,000 deaths a year).
I call on Congress to enact a law requiring proper storage of firearms
The time has come to move beyond apologies and half measures and fight for real solutions to gun violence in our community.
Economic Inequality
In today’s economy, the wealthy are getting wealthier, the poor are getting poorer, and opportunities for the middle class to rise are disappearing before our eyes. Bad policy from Washington is combining with two fundamental trends -- consolidation and automation -- to drive economic inequality.
At its most basic, an economy is made up of two things: capital and labor. ‘Capital’ is all of the stuff (commodities like metals or corn, machines, computers, land etc.) that people rely on and ‘labor’ is the work people do (both directly for each other or to turn capital into things people will pay for).
Historically, as America’s yearly national income (the gross domestic product, or GDP) grew, gains were distributed more or less proportionately to owners of capital and labor (e.g. workers like you and me). That’s not happening any more.
Part of the reason for that is that capital used to be more evenly distributed throughout the economy. Today, it is consolidating into the hands of a small economic elite. One example of that is the shift in retail from Main Street, to big box stores, to highly centralized and consolidated (and automated) online retailers like Amazon. The result is a loss of tax revenues, consumer power and jobs in communities across the country.
At the same time, the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics is allowing capital to compete with and squeeze labor. This trend is what I refer to as automation. Competition from robots (e.g. self checkout aisles) and computers combine with poorly designed trade policies to push down the wages of laborers. We don't yet know eventual magnitude or the intensity of that shift, but it’s already happening.
On top of all that, the wealthy are paying a much lower income tax than they have at any time since the Great Depression. The Republicans are pushing those contributions even lower. During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s the highest earners in the U.S. paid between 70-91% income tax. Today they pay a fraction of that. U.S. deficits have ballooned in tandem with the tax cuts that resulted in these low rates for high earners.
We need to begin to develop new solutions to these challenges -- including controversial policies such as universal basic income -- to support our families and communities.
Universal Healthcare
The Problem
Even as wages have stagnated or declined for America’s middle and working class, healthcare costs have increased dramatically. One way to attack inequality and increase economic mobility is to ensure that all families have access to affordable, high quality healthcare. It is particularly important that these programs are not tied to employment. Tying healthcare to employment means that when a family loses a paycheck they also lose access to healthcare. Tying healthcare to employment also hurts entrepreneurs and small business. And it makes it harder for people to take the risk of leaving a job or starting a new business.
The Solution
A single-payer medicare or medicaid for all plan that ties insurance premiums to income is the best near-term solution for dealing with this issue. The Bernie Sanders proposal is an example of such a plan. At the same time, it is critical to accelerate the speed with which doctors and hospitals are compensated for services performed under existing government healthcare programs.
Strengthening 21st Century Unions
The Problem
The yawing chasm in wages and wealth between lower income Americans and high-income Americans has closely tracked the decline of unions. This shift is not coincidental.
The Solution
A major component of reducing economic inequality is revitalizing and renovating unions so they can defend the rights of workers in the 21st century. Levi for Colorado convened a labor council in October to discuss specifics.
Last Mile Transportation Subsidies for Pooled, Electric Transportation
The Problem
Another obstacle to economic mobility is the high cost of transportation. In Colorado, and especially the 6th Congressional district, automotive transportation is both expensive and polluting -- it’s responsible for more than 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. At the same time, car ownership places a significant obstacle in the path of low-income residents toward economic mobility. As low-income urban neighborhoods gentrify and their residents are pushed into the suburbs. Car ownership has become almost mandatory because housing in the suburbs is rarely within easy walking distance of good public transit. One analysis showed that car ownership costs for a $7500 used vehicle (including loan payments) are almost $5,000/year.
The Solution
Offering low-income subsidies for shared, pooled, electric transportation on trips to and from major local mass-transit hubs (e.g. light rail) diminishes that obstacle to economic mobility, encourages utilization of our mass transit system and reduces emissions from individual drivers.
Strengthening Community Colleges and Vocational Schools
The Problem
Together with healthcare, education costs have soared. From 1995 through 2015 the average annual cost of a private university increased from just below $14,000 to just below $40,000. Public universities more than tripled in price. At the same time, there is growing concern that college education isn’t necessarily providing young Americans the skills that are in demand for the in our local economy.
The Solution
The federal government needs to provide increased funding to vocational and community colleges that focus on technical and vocational training.
Continuous lifelong vocational and technical learning/student debt (e.g. 5 months every 5 years)
As our economy continues to evolve and employment opportunities change, many people will lose their jobs. There will be an increased need for lifelong vocational learning. Accordingly, the government should institute a program that allows for 6 months tuition for mid-career technical training programs every 5-years. This program would recognize the increasingly dynamic nature of our economy and provide individuals with tools to take advantage of emerging economies.
Requiring the Rich to Pay Their Fair Share
The Problem
High-income Americans are benefiting from historically low income taxes. This is especially true when lower taxes on capital gains (compared to income) are taken into account. America’s wealthiest have reaped the fruits of American opportunity. They are richer than ever, and they are giving back less than ever.
As a technology entrepreneur and small businessman I understand the importance of rewarding people for hard work and innovation. Part of our contract is to reinvest in the institutions (schools, infrastructure, community programs and healthcare) that made our success possible.
The Solution
Part of addressing economic inequality is for the richest Americans to pay their fair share in taxes. That’s not happening today. We need to tax the inheritance of wealth and raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
Antitrust
The Problem
In many industries, there is a natural tendency toward consolidation. In practical terms, that means that one company, or a small number of companies, gets bigger and bigger by exploiting economies of scale or market power. The shift from a Main Street economy to big box stores and finally Amazon is just one example. Up to a certain point, this may be good for both consumers and businesses. However, some companies like Google, Amazon, and Walmart are so big that they have systemic impacts on everything from internet policy, to suppliers, to prevailing wages in the economy. This kind of consolidation may harm consumers because:
- Large corporations may use their market power to artificially raise prices for consumers
- Large corporations may use their market power to buy goods at lower prices from small businesses, effectively hurting smaller businesses and their employees
- Large corporations may use their position to block other companies from entering amarket -- stifling innovation and competition
- Large corporations may employ fewer workers or pay lower wages per unit produced
- Large corporations may concentrate economic wealth, exacerbating economic and income inequality.
- Large corporations often abuse their power to manipulate the political system. Too often, they get off scott free (as almost all of Wall Street's white collar criminals did after the 2008 financial crisis).
The Solution
We need to create policy support for small businesses that keep jobs, retail, manufacturing and farming within our communities. At the same time, we need to reexamine the impacts of economic consolidation on the entire economy -- not simply the cost of goods. Finally, we need to ensure that ALL Americans are treated equally under the law. This includes white collar criminals from powerful banks on Wall Street. The Justice Department's failure to prosecute the very bankers who plunged America into the Great Recession is a moral outrage and sends the message that you can break the law -- so long as you're wearing a suit. That's unacceptable. It's why I support Elizabeth Warren's Too Big to Jail Act to hold crooked executives accountable.
Climate
The Problem
In 2017, 1000 year floods in Texas and terrifying infernos in Los Angeles have shows us that climate change doesn’t respect political boundaries. It shouldn’t be a politicized issue. China, India, Europe and other countries around the world have committed to aggressive actions to combat climate change. America should lead the way.
The Solution
- 100% renewable electricity by 2035
- Incentives for local and rooftop solar. Local and rooftop solar strengthen local economies by providing local jobs and improving the resilience of the local electrical grid.
- Incentives for energy storage. One of the last remaining obstacles to a renewable-centered energy system is local battery storage. The federal government should incentivize local -- and especially residential -- battery storage. Doing so will drive down cost, boost U.S. battery manufacturing and create local employment.
- Develop atmospheric carbon capture and sequestration technologies. We have stretched our carbon budget to the brink of planetary disaster. One way to slow, and potentially reverse certain elements of climate change is to develop technologies to capture carbon dioxide from the air and use it for industrial purposes (e.g. building materials) or sequester it. This is the only obviously safe method of climate engineering.
- 90% electric passenger miles electric by 2040. While there will likely be certain applications in which diesel and/or natural gas remain part of our transportation system, the vast majority of passenger miles can be electrified by 2040.
- Increased funding for climate adaptation including reinforcement of our infrastructure and electrical systems as well as preservation of species that would otherwise be pushed to extinction because of climate change.
New Policy Frameworks for Artificial Intelligence
The Problem
Over the years and decades to come, robots and artificial intelligence (AI) will play a dramatically increased role in our economy, military, law enforcement and society. There are huge opportunities to improve our society and world through AI. However, these new technologies will also pose ethical, economic and philosophical challenges.
The Solution
- No killer robots: Drones and other AI-enabled devices designed for military or law-enforcement purposes must rely on a human to execute any command that would likely lead to serious injury or death.
- Robot tax: As humans are replaced by technology, companies should pay a technology adjustment fee.
- Employee/revenue taxes: Not all businesses are the same in terms of the benefits to middle class Americans. Manufacturing sectors (e.g. auto manufacturing) have back linkages that create more jobs. For example, a car is made up of 30,000 individual pieces. You need someone to design all of those pieces, someone to make them, someone to deliver them and someone to assemble them into an automobile -- not to speak of recycling them at the end of their lifetime. All of that adds up to more jobs. In contrast, industries like finance move vast quantities of money and make huge profits, but employ relatively few people. Let’s prioritize sectors (e.g. renewable energy) with the highest potential for job creation.
Revitalizing Democracy
The Problem
Another challenge of economic inequality is the outsized effect a small group of wealthy individuals has on our political process. The Citizens United v. FEC ruling which allowed for unlimited spending by corporations and private individuals to influence elections is one part of the problem. But a much bigger part is what Lawrence Lessig calls the “money primary” -- where wealthy donors decide who to support, effectively choosing who ends up on the primary ballot.
America’s cash-strapped families don’t have the resources to compete in this “money primary” that is so important in dictating outcomes in our democracy.
The Solution
Democrats and Republicans including Lessig and a number of others have proposed solutions to this problem. One of the most promising proposals is called the American Anti-Corruption Act (AACA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Anti-Corruption_Act). I would support something like the AACA. I would, in particular, support a provision that gave each voter a $25/year voucher to contribute to qualifying political campaigns. These vouchers and contributions would be dispersed and tracked through a blockchain ledger that would provide transparency and aid in prosecution of corruption. This would give ordinary voters without the spare income to contribute to a political campaign a voice in politics. It would also allow people without large networks of wealthy friends to run for office by allowing them to fundraise within their communities.[18]
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Colorado's 6th Congressional District election, Crow vs. Coffman | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Jason Crow | Mike Coffman | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||||||
| End Citizens United February 15-18, 2018 | 44% | 39% | +/-3.6 | 751 | |||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Noteworthy events
House Democrat Hoyer urges Tillemann to drop out of race in secretly recorded conversation
Levi Tillemann met with House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D) in Denver to argue that the Democratic Party shouldn't play favorites in primaries and that his progressive candidacy had a better shot at winning than the more centrist-leaning Jason Crow. Hoyer responded by telling Tillemann that the decision about supporting Crow had been made long ago and he should drop out of the race. Tillemann recorded the conversation, which was first released by The Intercept.
“Yeah, I’m for Crow,” Hoyer said. “I am for Crow because a judgment was made very early on. I didn’t know Crow. I didn’t participate in the decision. But a decision was made early on by the Colorado delegation.”[19]
“So your position is, a decision was made very early on before voters had a say, and that’s fine because the DCCC knows better than the voters of the 6th Congressional District, and we should line up behind that candidate,” Tillemann asked.[19]
“That’s certainly a consequence of our decision,” Hoyer responded.[19]
Later in the conversation, Hoyer said, “You keep saying I would like you to get out of the race, and of course that’s correct."[19]
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi defended the DCCC's involvement in the race, saying, "In terms of candidates and campaigns I don’t see anything inappropriate in what Mr. Hoyer was engaged in — a conversation about the realities of life in the race as to who can make the general election."[20]
Media coverage
Analysis and punditry
Eric Sondermann, independent political analyst: "I think the [Democratic] rift has intensified since 2016 with Bernie's defeat, with Hillary's then-defeat, with further drift of the party to the left...I think political emotions are running higher and harder all around. Even the establishment in the Democratic Party are left of where they were a few years ago. And the progressives are trying to pull the thing further to the left. There's the divide in the [Colorado's] 6th Congressional District, obviously...I think you see this in the attorney general's race. In both cases, if I'm a betting person, which I'm not, I would probably put my money on the establishment candidate, just given their advantages. But I wouldn't put a ton of money. And I don't think the damage will be lasting into November."[21]
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
| Race ratings: Colorado's 6th Congressional District election, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Campaign finance
The table below details the campaign finance reports from the candidates in this election through March 31, 2018.[22]
Republican district won by Hillary Clinton
This district was one of 25 Republican-held U.S. House districts that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election.[23] Nearly all were expected to be among the House's most competitive elections in 2018.
Click on the table below to see the full list of districts.
Click here to see the 13 Democratic-held U.S. House districts that Donald Trump (R) won.
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+2, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 2 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Colorado's 6th Congressional District the 183rd most Democratic nationally.[28]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.03. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.03 points toward that party.[29]
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Colorado heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- The state had a split delegation (one Democrat, one Republican) in the U.S. Senate. Colorado did not hold elections for either U.S. Senate seat in 2018.
- Republicans held four of seven U.S. House seats in Colorado, and Democrats held three.
State executives
- As of May 2018, Republicans held three of 10 state executive positions. Democrats held two, and five were nonpartisan.
- The governor of Colorado was Democrat John Hickenlooper, who was term-limited and unable to run for re-election in 2018. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- The Colorado state legislature was under divided control. Republicans had an 18-16 majority in the state Senate, with one Independent who caucused with the Democrats. Democrats had a 36-29 majority in the state House.
Trifecta status
- Heading into the 2018 elections, Colorado was under divided government.
2018 elections
- See also: Colorado elections, 2018
Colorado held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- All seven U.S. House seats
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- Attorney general
- Secretary of state
- Treasurer
- Seventeen of 35 seats in the state Senate
- All 65 seats in the state House of Representatives
- Two of seven seats on the state board of education
- Three of nine seats on the state board of regents
- One justice of the Colorado Supreme Court (retention election)
- Five members of the Colorado Court of Appeals (retention election)
- Local judicial offices
- Municipal elections in Adams County, Arapahoe County and El Paso County
Demographics
| Demographic data for Colorado | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 5,448,819 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 103,642 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 84.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 3.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 21.1% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 90.7% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 38.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $60,629 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 13.5% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Colorado. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2017, Colorado had a population of approximately 5.6 million people, and its two largest cities were Denver (pop. est. 719,000) and Colorado Springs (pop. est. 484,000).[30][31]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Colorado from 2000 to 2016.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Colorado every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Colorado 2000-2016[32] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton |
48.2% |  Donald Trump |
43.3% | 4.9% |
| 2012 | Barack Obama |
51.5% | Mitt Romney |
46.1% | 5.4% |
| 2008 | Barack Obama |
53.7% | John McCain |
44.7% | 9.0% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush |
51.7% | John Kerry |
47.0% | 4.7% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush |
50.8% | Al Gore |
42.4% | 8.4% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Colorado from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Colorado 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016[33] | Michael Bennet |
50.0% | Darryl Glenn |
44.3% | 5.7% |
| 2014[34] | Cory Gardner |
48.2% | Mark Udall |
46.3% | 1.9% |
| 2010[35] | Michael Bennet |
48.1% | Ken Buck |
46.4% | 1.7% |
| 2008[36] | Mark Udall |
52.8% | Bob Schaffer |
42.5% | 10.3% |
| 2004[37] | Ken Salazar |
50.4% | Pete Coors |
45.7% | 4.7% |
| 2002[38] | Wayne Allard |
50.1% | Tom Strickland |
45.2% | 4.9% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Colorado, and take place in even-numbered years between presidential elections.
| Election results (Governor), Colorado 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014[34] | John Hickenlooper |
49.3% | Bob Beauprez |
46.0% | 3.3% |
| 2010[35] | John Hickenlooper |
51.1% |  Tom Tancredo |
36.4% | 14.7% |
| 2006[39] | Bill Ritter |
56.0% | Bob Beauprez |
39.5% | 16.5% |
| 2002[38] | Bill Owens |
61.7% | Rollie Heath |
33.2% | 28.5% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Colorado in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Colorado 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016[33] | 4 |
57.1% | 3 |
42.9% | R+1 |
| 2014[34] | 4 |
57.1% | 3 |
42.9% | R+1 |
| 2012[40] | 4 |
57.1% | 3 |
42.9% | R+1 |
| 2010[35] | 4 |
57.1% | 3 |
42.9% | R+1 |
| 2008[36] | 2 |
28.6% | 5 |
71.4% | D+3 |
| 2006[39] | 3 |
42.9% | 4 |
57.1% | D+1 |
| 2004[37] | 4 |
57.1% | 3 |
42.9% | R+1 |
| 2002[38] | 5 |
71.4% | 2 |
28.6% | R+3 |
| 2000[41] | 4 |
66.7% | 2 |
33.3% | R+2 |
Trifectas, 1992-2018
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Colorado Party Control: 1992-2025
Thirteen years of Democratic trifectas • Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado, 2018
- United States House elections in Colorado (June 26, 2018 Democratic primaries)
- Colorado's 6th Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Same-day registration was available for those voting in person at Voter Service and Polling Centers,
- ↑ Same-day registration was available for those voting in person at Voter Service and Polling Centers,
- ↑ Sentinel Colorado, "Jason Crow gets national Democrat support as strategy to unseat Congressman Mike Coffman," November 15, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Colorado Politics, "Rhonda Fields endorses Levi Tillemann in 6th Congressional District Democratic primary," March 28, 2018
- ↑ Jason Crow 2018 campaign website, "Meet Jason," accessed May 22, 2018
- ↑ Jason Crow 2018 campaign website, "Values," accessed May 22, 2018
- ↑ Jason Crow 2018 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed May 22, 2018
- ↑ Levi Tillemann 2018 campaign website, "About Levi," accessed May 22, 2018
- ↑ Levi Tillemann 2018 campaign website, "Issues," accessed May 22, 2018
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 DCCC, "Red to Blue Candidates," accessed May 15, 2018
- ↑ The Intercept, "THE DEAD ENDERS: Candidates Who Signed Up to Battle Donald Trump Must Get Past the Democratic Party First," January 23, 2018
- ↑ Denver Post, "Colorado’s 1 million-plus unaffiliated voters can participate for the first time in a primary election. Here’s what they need to know," June 2, 2018
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Politico, "How Veterans Are Powering the Democrats’ 2018 Hopes," March 28, 2018
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedPerlmutter - ↑ Colorado Politics, "Sierra Club endorses Democratic congressional candidate Jason Crow, but primary rival cries foul," March 7, 2018
- ↑ Colorado Politics, "Progressive Democrats of America chapter endorses Democrat Levi Tillemann in 6th District primary," February 24, 2018
- ↑ Jason Crow 2018 campaign website, "Values," accessed May 23, 2018
- ↑ Levi Tillmann 2018 campaign website, "Issues," accessed May 23, 2018
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 The Intercept, "Secretly Taped Audio Reveals Democratic Leadership Pressuring Progressive to Leave Race," April 26, 2018
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Pelosi defends Democratic Party’s efforts to sway Colorado primary," April 26, 2018
- ↑ Westword, "Colorado's Progressive-Establishment Divide Is Alive and Well," May 18, 2018
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Browse Candidates for House of Representatives," accessed May 23, 2018
- ↑ This figure includes Pennsylvania districts that were redrawn by the state Supreme Court in early 2018 and districts that flipped in special elections.
- ↑ The new 1st district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 8th District held by Fitzpatrick. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 5th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 7th District held by Meehan. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 6th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 6th District held by Costello. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 7th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 15th District held by Dent. Click here to read more.
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Colorado," accessed April 2, 2018
- ↑ World Population Review, "Population of Cities in Colorado (2018)," accessed April 2, 2018
- ↑ US Election Atlas, "United States Presidential Election Results," accessed April 2, 2018
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "2016 Abstract of Votes Cast," accessed April 3, 2018
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Colorado Secretary of State, "2014 Abstract of Votes Cast," accessed April 3, 2018
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Colorado Secretary of State, "2010 Abstract of Votes Cast," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2008 Primary & 2008 General," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2003 Coordinated, 2004 Primary, & 2004 General," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2001 Coordinated, 2002 Primary, & 2002 General," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2005 Coordinated, 2006 Primary, & 2006 General," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2012 Abstract of Votes Cast," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2000 Presidential, 2000 Primary, & 2000 General," accessed April 4, 2018
