By Four Colorado state lawmakers lost their party primary elections Tuesday and will lose their seats in the Legislature next year.
Democratic Reps. Sean Camacho, Jacque Phillips and Mandy Lindsay, and Republican Sen. Lynda Zamora Wilson lost to their primary challengers, and in other races, left-leaning Democrats defeated more moderate candidates, according to unofficial results from the secretary of state’s office. The results in those Democratic races could influence the Legislature’s ideological direction when it returns next year, as Democrats will likely retain control of both chambers.
Camacho and Phillips are both members of the Colorado Opportunity Caucus and lost to more progressive Democrats backed by the Working Families Party and major labor unions. Caucus members are at the center of an ethics investigation after a retreat in Vail last fall where a nonprofit called One Main Street picked up part of the tab. One Main Street and affiliated groups supported a handful of Democrats in the primaries, but those candidates largely were not successful. Wynn Howell, the state director for WFP characterized the night as a rejection of the “corrupt corporate political machine,” alluding to the vast amount of money spent on some candidates.
“They also rejected corporate Democrats in favor of Working Families Party Democrats who are from the people and will work for the people,” Howell said in a statement. “These results are the payoff of the Working Families Party’s strategy to recruit, train, and elect more champions to the state legislature and county commissions to break the corporate hold on Democratic leadership in those bodies.”
Official and verified election results from the state won’t be settled for a few weeks, but the results as of midday Wednesday show clear outcomes in most races. Results are updated online as ballots continue to be counted.
Civil rights attorney Iris Halpern beat Camacho in Denver’s House District 6 with 53.4% of the vote. Political committees that are separate from the candidates’ campaigns, whose donors are not clear and are often referred to as “dark money” groups, spent over $900,000 in the race. The district is a safe Democratic seat in the heart of Denver, so Halpern will almost certainly win in November.
In House District 31 in Thornton, organizer Gabriel Cervantes unseated Phillips with about 53.5% of the vote. He will face Republican William Switzer in November, though it is a strong Democratic seat. Phillips conceded on Wednesday morning.
Democrat Sarah Woodson defeated Lindsay in Aurora’s House District 42 with 68% of the vote. Lindsay is currently facing an ethics complaint over her management of House Democratic Caucus money as co-chair.
“First and foremost, I want to thank Rep. Mandy Lindsay for her service,” Woodson said in a video posted to Facebook. “Now, as we move on into a new era, I really want you to know that it is possible. The American dream is possible, and the underdog can prevail and hard work does make a difference.”
Democratic Rep. Kenny Nguyen beat Broomfield City Council member Heidi Henkel with about 54% of the vote in Broomfield’s House District 33. There was close to $700,000 in outside spending supporting Henkel in the race. Nguyen was first appointed to his seat this year and will face Republican Nate Jorgensen in November.
“This campaign was not just about two candidates, but the future of our state and the future of our politics,” Nguyen wrote on Facebook after his victory. “While we may never know the full amount, records indicate a staggering $1 million dollars was spent to unseat me, most of which was dark money with ties to oil and gas, for-profit medical companies, private prisons and other conservative interests trying to buy a democratic primary.”
Democrat Chela Irlando Garcia will likely replace outgoing Sen. Julie Gonzales in Denver’s Senate District 35. Garcia beat her primary opponent, Andrés Carrera, in the open seat with 68.5% of the vote.
On the Republican side, Wilson was defeated by former state Rep. Terri Carver in the northern Colorado Springs Senate District 9. Carver won with about 67.4% of the vote. Zamora Wilson was appointed to her seat last summer.
