Rep. Jeff Hurd, a Republican from Colorado, secured the GOP nomination on Tuesday against challenger Ron Hanks in a primary election for a House district in western and southern Colorado. Hurd's victory comes as he aims to retain a competitive seat that Democrats are targeting in the upcoming midterm elections.
Hurd defeated Hanks, a former state representative, after receiving the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who had previously withdrawn his support due to Hurd's vote with Democrats on a measure regarding Trump's tariffs in February. Trump reinstated his endorsement in March and encouraged Navy veteran Hope Scheppelman, who was also running against Hurd, to withdraw from the race and join his administration.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump expressed his support for Hurd's re-election, urging Republicans to unite against Democratic candidates. Hanks, who has previously alleged without evidence that President Joe Biden was fraudulently elected, ran against Hurd in the 2024 GOP primary, where Hurd won with just over 40% of the vote.
Democrats are looking to unseat Hurd, who won the district by a narrow margin of five points in 2024. The district includes areas with strong Democratic support, particularly in affluent ski towns and Pueblo. Hurd has faced criticism from Hanks, who labeled him a 'fake conservative' and questioned his loyalty to Trump. Despite some disagreements with Trump on specific policies, Hurd has generally aligned with the former president on major legislative issues.
Hurd, a lawyer and former chair of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, is also a vice chair of the Western Caucus and serves on the House Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees.