Colorado Primary Elections Will Shape 2026

The Denver Gazette lays out the landscape heading into Colorado’s 2026 primary elections, and it is crowded, competitive, and in some cases, downright chaotic. With term limits forcing a full reset of statewide offices, voters will be picking nominees for everything from governor to attorney general, alongside high-stakes congressional races across the state. fileciteturn6file0

For the first time in years, Colorado voters will effectively choose an entirely new executive bench. Democrats are battling internally for control of top offices, while Republicans are fielding multiple candidates trying to claw their way back into statewide relevance. Meanwhile, major congressional races, including the competitive 8th District, are shaping up to draw serious attention and serious money.

The Bullet Point Brief

Colorado’s primary ballots are packed. Governor, Senate, AG, Secretary of State, Congress. It is all on the table this year.
Democrats are fighting among themselves in multiple high-profile primaries, thanks to term limits clearing the field.
Republicans have contested primaries too, particularly in the governor’s race, with three candidates vying for the nomination.
Unaffiliated voters, who make up more than half the electorate, will once again play kingmaker thanks to Colorado’s semi-open primary system.
National observers are already writing off some general election matchups as noncompetitive. Translation: they think Colorado is safely blue.

My Bottom Line

Here is the reality check Colorado’s Great Suburban Normie needs, whether they are paying attention yet or not.

Primaries matter. A lot. Because by the time October rolls around and the TV ads start flooding your living room, most of the real decisions have already been made.

And let’s be honest about where we are as a state.

Democrats have had near total control of Colorado government for almost a decade. Governor’s office. Legislature. Statewide offices. The whole thing. This is not shared responsibility. This is one-party rule.

So when people look around and see an unaffordable state, rising crime, traffic that gets worse by the year, and communities feeling more crowded and less functional, that did not happen by accident.

That is the result of policy. Years of it.

And now we get the same routine. Candidates promising to fix the very problems their party created. New faces, same ideas, same outcomes.

If you like where Colorado is headed, stay the course.

If you do not, then the answer is not complicated. Vote different.

Not just in November when it is easy and obvious. Vote in the primaries. Pay attention before the noise starts. And when the time comes, maybe consider sending a message.

Colorado did not get here overnight. It is not getting fixed overnight either. But it starts with one simple decision.

Try something different.

Source: The Denver Gazette