President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Biden*

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%↓

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

90%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

90%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

(R) Ron Hanks

40%

30%

20%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(R) J. Sonnenberg

(R) Ted Harvey

20%↑

15%↑

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Dave Williams

(R) Jeff Crank

(R) Doug Bruce

20%

20%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

90%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) Brittany Pettersen

85%↑

 

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

(R) Janak Joshi

60%↑

40%↑

20%↑

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
July 01, 2014 02:07 PM UTC

Colorado GOP Primary Results Cast Ominous Shadow for Republicans

  • 10 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols
Tony Sanchez in SD-22
Tony Sanchez, Republican nominee in SD-22

The National Journal has picked up on a storyline we have been following closely for months here at Colorado Pols — how the combination of Tea Party vs. establishment fights, amplified in bellwether Jefferson County, may make it impossible for Republicans on the top of the ticket to win statewide races:

Even as Republicans nominated capable candidates at the top of the ticket, the down-ballot primary results are a stark illustration of how the party leaders in the state tasked with winning elections are at odds with a majority of their own voters. Democrats currently hold a tenuous one-seat advantage in the state Senate. But without enough moderate candidates in swing districts on the November ballot, the GOP will find taking over the upper chamber much more difficult.

"If we don't win [any key races] in 2014, we’re going the way of California,” [Mario] Nicolais said. "We could well become a permanent minority."…

…Yet below the surface is a nagging pessimism that underscores the stakes for Colorado Republicans in 2014. If the GOP's past problems stem from party divisions, a few lousy candidates, and persistently bad luck, then it's easy to see how the party can turn things around with stronger nominees. But if the party is losing touch with the state's changing electorate, all bets are off. The fact that Republicans feared that Tom Tancredo, who came within 3 points of winning the nomination, could have ruined everything for the statewide ticket, is testament to just how tenuous an advantage Republicans hold.

Laura Woods in SD-19
Laura Waters Woods, Republican nominee in SD-19

Back in March, we noted that the Republican Party in Jefferson County was imploding under competing Tea Party/Moderate/RMGO factions. That examination was verified again last week when Tea Party Republicans won key GOP Primary races in SD-19 (Laura Waters Woods over Lang Sias) and SD-22 (Tony Sanchez over Mario Nicholais). Coupled with the angry undercurrent from education-minded voters around the shenanigans associated with the Jefferson County School Board, Jeffco Republicans have placed so many land mines around the county that top-ticket candidates such as Rep. Cory Gardner and Gubernatorial nominee Bob Beauprez may find it impossible to side step entirely.

All Colorado politicos know that you can't win a competitive statewide race if you lose in Jefferson County, and the combination of poor Republican candidates (which both repel voters and weaken potential help from Republican supporters) and a divisive Republican school board could have the cumulative effect of dropping overall support for a Republican ticket. That support doesn't need to fall far; a drop of just 1-2% could be politically fatal for Gardner and Beauprez, among others.

It's quite possible that the Primary victories of Laura Waters Woods and Tony Sanchez may cripple GOP hopes at taking control of the State Senate…but Republican efforts to defeat Mark Udall in the U.S. Senate have been dealt quite a blow as well.

 

Comments

10 thoughts on “Colorado GOP Primary Results Cast Ominous Shadow for Republicans

    1. If I remember correctly, Waters is a fake name she used to protect her identity while she was running the recall against Hudak. Something about threats from Democrats or some such. Woods is her actual, legal name

      1. Especially those Pueblo Dems. We're fricking scary.….(Waters justified her name change by citing "what happened in Pueblo"….really.

      2. Does her sacred Second Amendment provide her with enough protection?  Or maybe Dudley Brown should have put together a possee………

  1. Looks like we can once again count on the Colorado GOTP to embarrass itself by under performing in a Republican year. It's one thing to nominate wackos in a red state with an extremist electorate, another in a purple to violet blue state.

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

57 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!