Colorado Primaries Oust 3 State Lawmakers as Super PAC Millions Mostly Fail in Democratic Races
Updated
Updated · The Colorado Sun · Jun 30
Colorado Primaries Oust 3 State Lawmakers as Super PAC Millions Mostly Fail in Democratic Races
3 articles · Updated · The Colorado Sun · Jun 30
Summary
Three Colorado legislative incumbents — and possibly a fourth — were set to lose Tuesday primaries, even though Democrats are still expected to keep control of the state legislature.
Millions of dollars in super PAC spending shaped the contests, but efforts by dark-money-backed groups to boost more moderate Democrats mostly fell short in the party’s marquee statehouse races.
In Denver, Chela Garcia Irlando beat Andrés Carrera with about 68% after more than $1 million flooded Senate District 34, while Iris Halpern led Rep. Sean Camacho 51%-49% and Gabriel Cervantes led Rep. Jacque Phillips 53%-47%.
Aurora delivered the clearest incumbent defeat on the Democratic side, with Sarah Woodson unseating Rep. Mandy Lindsay 68%-32% in House District 42 after more than $400,000 in outside spending.
Republicans saw the opposite pattern: establishment-backed candidates had a strong night, including Terri Carver’s 68% defeat of Sen. Lynda Zamora Wilson, highlighting both parties’ fights over their ideological direction.