Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) won the Democratic primary for Senate in Colorado, defeating progressive challenger Julie Gonzales with 57.3% of the vote, as reported by the Associated Press shortly after 9:36 p.m. on Tuesday. Hickenlooper, a former governor and Denver mayor, is seeking a second term in the Senate.
Polling prior to the primary indicated a narrower lead for Hickenlooper than expected, but he was considered the favorite. His campaign strategy included declining to debate Gonzales and focusing on his record in television advertisements. Gonzales, an immigration activist and former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, aimed to challenge Hickenlooper's bipartisan approach, but faced challenges due to limited fundraising and Hickenlooper's strong name recognition.
The primary occurred alongside a more competitive race for governor involving Colorado's other senator, Michael Bennet, and state Attorney General Phil Weiser. Hickenlooper will face Republican state Senator Mark Baisley in the general election this fall. The Cook Political Report rates the Senate seat as "solidly Democratic." Hickenlooper has indicated that if he wins in November, he plans to retire at the end of his second term in the Senate. He previously won a primary in 2020 against progressive challenger Andrew Romanoff and went on to defeat Republican Cory Gardner.