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 that is competitive for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections. Hurd defeated Hanks, a former state representative, in the Republican primary for a district that encompasses much of western and southern Colorado, as reported by The Associated Press.
Hurd received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump after initially losing it due to Hurd's support for a measure aimed at terminating Trump's tariffs on Canada earlier this year. 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. Scheppelman now serves as a senior advisor on substance abuse in the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump expressed his support for Hurd on social media, stating, "I will be fully supporting Jeff’s Re-Election to the House of Representatives, giving him my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Following Scheppelman’s exit from the race, Hanks entered the primary to challenge Hurd. Hanks, an Air Force veteran, previously ran against Hurd in the 2024 GOP primary, where Hurd won with just over 40% of the vote.
Hanks has made unsubstantiated claims regarding the legitimacy of Joe Biden's election and was present during the January 6 riots, although he stated he did not enter the Capitol and was not charged with any crime. The district was previously represented by Rep. Lauren Boebert, who has since moved to run for a different seat.
Democrats are aiming to unseat Hurd, who won the district by a narrow margin of five points in the last election. The district includes areas with strong Democratic support, particularly in affluent ski towns and Pueblo. Hanks has criticized Hurd as a "fake conservative" and accused him of not being sufficiently loyal to Trump, despite Hurd's alignment with Trump on most major legislative issues. Hurd has a background as a lawyer and previously chaired the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as vice chair of the Western Caucus and is a member of the House Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees.