2026 Colorado Primary Results

Colorado held its statewide and congressional primaries on June 30, 2026. Below are the marquee races that shape Denver's representation in the state capitol and Congress, and the matchups now set for the November 3, 2026 general election.

Looking for Denver's 2027 city races? See the Council Candidate Tracker and Mayoral Tracker.

Every marquee primary has now been decided. The Republican race for governor — the last one outstanding — was called for Victor Marx on July 9, 2026, after a count close enough that a recount looked possible but that finished just outside Colorado's automatic-recount trigger. All of the matchups below are set for the November 3, 2026 general election.

Governor

Open seat — Gov. Jared Polis is term-limited. General election: November 3, 2026.

Phil Weiser (D) — Nominee

Colorado Attorney General
Won primary
  • Attorney General Phil Weiser won the Democratic nomination for governor, defeating U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet 56.9% to 43.1% (505,444 votes to 383,131).
  • Bennet keeps his U.S. Senate seat, which is not up until 2028.

Victor Marx (R) — Nominee

Ministry founder and Marine veteran, first-time candidate
Won primary
  • Victor Marx, a first-time candidate and founder of the ministry All Things Possible, won the Republican nomination on July 9, 2026 with 39.9% (208,455 votes) to state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer's 39.4% (205,990). State Rep. Scott Bottoms ran third with 20.8% (108,529).
  • The roughly 2,500-vote margin stayed outside the 0.5% gap that triggers an automatic recount under Colorado law, and Kirkmeyer conceded, calling it the closest Republican gubernatorial primary in state history. Marx faces Phil Weiser on November 3; no Republican has won a Colorado governor's race since 2002.

U.S. House — District 1 (Denver)

Denver's congressional seat. General election: November 3, 2026.

Melat Kiros (D) — Nominee

First-time candidate, democratic socialist
Won primary
  • Melat Kiros, a first-time candidate running as a democratic socialist, unseated 15-term U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary — one of the night's biggest upsets and a marker of progressive strength in Denver.
  • District 1 is heavily Democratic, making Kiros the strong favorite in November.

U.S. House — District 8 (Battleground)

Colorado's only true toss-up congressional seat, covering the northern Denver suburbs. General election: November 3, 2026.

Manny Rutinel (D) — Nominee

State Representative
Won primary
  • State Rep. Manny Rutinel won the Democratic nomination, defeating former state Rep. Shannon Bird in a race that focused heavily on immigration.
  • Rutinel faces Republican incumbent Rep. Gabe Evans in November in one of the most competitive U.S. House races in the country.

Attorney General

Open seat — AG Phil Weiser ran for governor. General election: November 3, 2026.

Jena Griswold (D) vs. Michael Allen (R)

November matchup set
Nominees set
  • Secretary of State Jena Griswold won the Democratic nomination for attorney general. Michael Allen won the Republican nomination. The two meet in November.

Secretary of State

Open seat — SOS Jena Griswold ran for attorney general. General election: November 3, 2026.

Amanda Gonzalez (D) vs. James Wiley (R)

November matchup set
Nominees set
  • Amanda Gonzalez won the Democratic nomination for secretary of state, defeating veteran state Sen. Jessie Danielson — a legislator we track on our State Sponsor Tracker for her work on labor and worker-protection bills. James Wiley, unopposed in the Republican primary, is the GOP nominee.

Why This Matters for Denver

State executive offices and Denver's members of Congress shape the ground rules for the policies on our platform — housing finance, labor rights, immigration enforcement, and how elections are run. The primary also reshuffled the field: Sen. Jessie Danielson, one of the sponsors on our State Sponsor Tracker, ran for secretary of state and lost, and several of the night's winners ran explicitly on housing affordability and worker protections.

This is a public-record summary, not an endorsement. Figures reflect the final primary vote totals reported by news organizations and the Colorado Secretary of State; last reviewed September 2026. Corrections welcome — email us or open a GitHub issue.

Sources:Colorado Public Radio,Rocky Mountain PBS,Colorado Newsline,The Colorado Sun,NBC News, and the Colorado Secretary of State.