It was one of the few major races across the country on Tuesday. Republicans are also voting in the primaries on two major House battlegrounds, and former Utah Gov. John Huntsman is in a primary battle to get his old job back.
Colorado’s race was the most important race Tuesday because the state is essential to the Democrats’ path to the Senate majority. Hickenlooper entered the race last summer after his brief presidential nomination, and the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee backed him immediately along with a handful of candidates who dropped out of the race to endorse Hickenlooper.
Hickenlooper was the prohibitive favorite for months, building on his successes in his two terms as governor and his universally identifiable name and positive image among state voters. But he had stumbled in the final stretch of the race, apologizing for racially callous comments and scorned by the state’s Independent Ethics Commission, which ruled that he had twice violated the state’s ethics laws as governor.
Those problems gave Romanoff a chance, and Republicans seized the opportunity to attack Hickenlooper, issuing negative announcements about him in the past two weeks. But Democrats from across the ideological spectrum, both nationally and locally, rallied around the former governor.
Romanoff, who has run on a liberal platform, argued that Hickenlooper’s moderate stances are not up to date and has said the ethics ruling shows that the former governor would put the seat in jeopardy. But many Democrats in the state argued that Hickenlooper was still the best candidate to face Gardner this fall.
Also on the ballot Tuesday, Huntsman is facing voters for the first time since he won reelection as governor in 2008, before leaving to become then-President Barack Obama’s ambassador to China and later as President Donald Trump’s ambassador. in Russia. He runs against Lt. Governor Spencer Cox and several other candidates, and the race has been competitive, despite Huntsman’s previous success in the state.
House Republicans will also reduce crowded fields into two main battlefield districts in Utah and Oklahoma.
Nine contenders compete to take on Democratic Rep. Kendra Horn, who caught the cycle mess two years ago when she ousted Republican Rep. Steve Russell in an Oklahoma City-based seat that backed Trump by 14 points.
That race is almost certain to head for a second lap on August 25. Former nominee Lieutenant Governor Terry Neese and State Senator Stephanie Bice led the first returns.
On a Salt Lake City battlefield, four Republicans are vying for the opportunity to overthrow Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams. The main candidates are former NFL player Burgess Owens and state representative Kim Coleman, who has the backing of the political arm of the House Freedom Fund.
Voters in the district strongly favor Republicans, but Trump is not popular there. He won it by 7 points in 2016 after Mitt Romney led him by 37 points four years earlier.
