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Colorado Secretary of State election, 2026 (June 30 Democratic primary)

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2022
Colorado Secretary of State
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 18, 2026
Primary: June 30, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Colorado

Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2026
Impact of term limits in 2026
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
Colorado
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Treasurer
State Board of Education (3 seats)
State Board of Regents (3 seats)

A Democratic Party primary takes place on June 30, 2026, in Colorado to determine which candidate will earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's secretary of state election on November 3, 2026.



This page focuses on Colorado's Democratic Party Secretary of State primary. For more in-depth information on Colorado's Republican Secretary of State primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list of candidates is unofficial. The filing deadline for this election has passed, and Ballotpedia is working to update this page with the official candidate list. This note will be removed once the official candidate list has been added.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado Secretary of State

Jessie Danielson and Amanda Gonzalez are running in the Democratic primary for Colorado Secretary of State on June 30, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Jessie Danielson

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I represent Jefferson County’s District 22 in the Colorado State Senate. As a legislator, I have focused my work on economic security for working Coloradans, expanding voters’ access to the ballot, better protections for seniors and the at-risk, environmental preservation and equality for women. I was first elected to the Colorado Senate in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, and currently serve as Chair of the Business, Labor & Technology Committee and Vice Chair of the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. I also served in the Colorado State House from 2015 - 2019, including as Speaker Pro Tem during my second House term. Prior to serving in office, I was the Colorado State Director for America Votes and helped pass 2013’s groundbreaking Voter Access & Modernized Elections Act. I served as then-Gov. Hickenlooper’s appointee on both the Voter Access & Modernized Elections Commission and the Colorado Commission on Aging. I previously worked as Political Director for NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado and worked as a housing coordinator for Connections for Independent Living, a nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities lead full and independent lives. I am a former board chair of Emerge Colorado; and also served on the boards of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado and ProgressNow Colorado."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


As a state legislator, I have been a leader in passing new laws increasing ballot access and strengthening elections, including Automatic Voter Registration and Ballot Access For Voters With Disabilities. At America Votes in Colorado, I built and helped lead the bipartisan coalition that developed and passed Colorado's groundbreaking Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act, which made Colorado the gold standard of elections across the United States. I have spent my career building our election system, and I'm running now to protect it.


I have stood up to power time and again as a Senator, against big corporations, lobbyists, MAGA Republicans, and even against the leadership of our own party. I went toe-to-toe with Gov. Polis – publicly – to get progressive policy passed. I have also stood up to make sure Gov. Polis doesn’t let Tina Peters off the hook. We need Secretary of State who has a proven record of fighting and taking a stand, I am the only candidate in this race with that history.


I passed Colorado’s Worker Protection Act, Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the Farmworker Bill of Rights, the Wage Theft Transparency Act, and the Educator Pay Raise Fund. I have been a dedicated ally of Colorado workers and have been a leader in helping hardworking Colorado families achieve greater economic security. Before being elected and working as State Director of America Votes, I was the NARAL Pro Choice Colorado Political Director, and have spent decades advocating for the rights of women and reproductive freedom. In 2022, I sponsored the Reproductive Health Equity Act, which codified abortion rights into Colorado law. I will never stop standing up to politicians trying to roll back the rights of women.

Image of Amanda Gonzalez

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "Amanda Gonzalez is the elected Clerk & Recorder for Jefferson County, Colorado, where she oversees elections, motor vehicle services, and public records for nearly 600,000 residents. A nationally recognized leader in election administration, Amanda has delivered the county’s highest voter turnout while cutting costs by millions. She has championed access to the ballot through innovations like jail-based voting, expanded ballot drop boxes, and multilingual ballots. An attorney and former Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause, Amanda authored landmark state laws creating automatic voter registration, strengthening redistricting, and protecting election security. She is the first Latina and first openly LGBTQ person to serve as JeffCo Clerk, and if elected Secretary of State, would be the first Secretary to hold those historic roles in Colorado. Amanda’s commitment to service is shaped by her roots: her father is in residential construction and if the former board chair of the local little league, her mother is a former Girl Scout troop leader who has work at Costco for more than three decades. Amanda was the first in her immediate family to graduate college and law school. She believes democracy works best when it works for everyone, and she is dedicated to ensuring elections remain accessible, secure, and transparent for all Coloradans."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


When it comes to our elections, experience matter. Amanda Gonzalez is the only candidate in this race with direct experience running large scale elections. As Clerk & Recorder for Jefferson County, she managed voting for nearly 600,000 residents, delivered record voter turnout, and saved taxpayers millions. At a time when democracy is under attack, Amanda is ready to serve as Secretary of State on day one—no on-the-job training required.


Throughout her career, Amanda has fought to protect and expand voting rights. As an attorney and former Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause, she helped write the laws that created automatic voter registration, expanded ballot drop boxes, and safeguarded fair redistricting. Amanda’s record proves she doesn’t just talk about protecting democracy—she delivers results.


Democracy only works when it works for all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected. Amanda Gonzalez knows representation matters. She is the first Latina and first openly LGBTQ person elected Clerk in Jefferson County and is running to make history again as Colorado’s next Secretary of State. Amanda is committed to building a democracy that works for all Coloradans, not just the powerful few.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Colorado

Election information in Colorado: June 30, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: June 30, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by June 22, 2026
  • Online: June 22, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: N/A
  • By mail: N/A by N/A
  • Online: N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: June 30, 2026
  • By mail: Received by June 30, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

June 22, 2026 to June 30, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (MT)

Campaign finance

The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
  • Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
  • State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.


See also: Presidential voting trends in Colorado and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, Colorado
DistrictKamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
Colorado's 1st77.0%21.0%
Colorado's 2nd69.0%29.0%
Colorado's 3rd44.0%54.0%
Colorado's 4th40.0%58.0%
Colorado's 5th44.0%53.0%
Colorado's 6th58.0%39.0%
Colorado's 7th56.0%41.0%
Colorado's 8th48.0%50.0%
Source: The Downballot

2016-2024

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2024 presidential election, 59.6% of Coloradans lived in one of the state's 21 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 35.8% lived in one of 39 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Colorado was Solid Democratic, having voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Kamala Harris (D) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Colorado following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Historical voting trends

Colorado presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 14 Democratic wins
  • 18 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party D R D D D R R R D D R R D R R R D R R R R R R D R R R D D D D D

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Colorado

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Colorado.

U.S. Senate election results in Colorado
RaceWinnerRunner up
202255.9%Democratic Party41.3%Republican Party
202053.5%Democratic Party44.2%Republican Party
201649.9%Democratic Party44.3%Republican Party
201448.2%Republican Party46.3%Democratic Party
201048.1%Democratic Party46.4%Republican Party
Average51.144.5

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Colorado

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Colorado.

Gubernatorial election results in Colorado
RaceWinnerRunner up
202258.5%Democratic Party39.2%Republican Party
201853.4%Democratic Party42.8%Republican Party
201449.3%Democratic Party46.0%Republican Party
201051.1%Democratic Party36.4%Grey.png (Constitution Party)
200657.0%Democratic Party40.2%Republican Party
Average53.940.9
See also: Party control of Colorado state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Colorado's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Colorado
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 4 6
Republican 0 4 4
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 8 10

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Colorado's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Colorado, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic Party Jared Polis
Lieutenant GovernorDemocratic Party Dianne Primavera
Secretary of StateDemocratic Party Jena Griswold
Attorney GeneralDemocratic Party Phil Weiser

State legislature

Colorado State Senate

Party As of March 2026
     Democratic Party 23
     Republican Party 12
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 35

Colorado House of Representatives

Party As of March 2026
     Democratic Party 43
     Republican Party 22
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 65

Trifecta control

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

The table below details demographic data in Colorado and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.

Demographic Data for Colorado
Colorado United States
Population 5,773,714 331,449,281
Land area (sq mi) 103,636 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 73.5% 63.4%
Black/African American 4% 12.4%
Asian 3.2% 5.8%
Native American 1% 0.9%
Pacific Islander 0.4% 0.4%
Other (single race) 5.4% 6.6%
Multiple 12.7% 10.7%
Hispanic/Latino 22.2% 19%
Education
High school graduation rate 92.8% 89.4%
College graduation rate 44.7% 35%
Income
Median household income $92,470 $78,538
Persons below poverty level 9.4% 12.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023).
**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.

State profile

Demographic data for Colorado
 ColoradoU.S.
Total population:5,448,819316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):103,6423,531,905
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.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Colorado

Colorado voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in Colorado, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.[1]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Colorado had three Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.66 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Colorado coverage on Ballotpedia

See also

Colorado State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Colorado State Executive Offices
Colorado State Legislature
Colorado Courts
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Colorado elections: 20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.