This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Roughly 1,400 Colorado Democrats selected candidates for the 2026 ballot at the party’s state assembly at Pueblo Memorial Hall on Saturday.
The caucus and assembly process tends to draw the most active, grassroots Democrats and the gathering had a festive feel. Candidates hit the stage, with supporters standing by holding signs or wearing campaign shirts, upbeat music blaring from the speakers and sometimes a smoke machine that added some flair, to make their five-minute pitch to the audience in the hopes of getting support from at least 30 percent of the delegates present to make it to the ballot.
Still, despite the upbeat energy in the room, there were pressing issues these Democrats want the party and its candidates to address, from reigning in ICE to stopping the war in Iran to tackling affordability.
And some of the biggest applause went to candidates who focused on how they’d protect democracy and fight against the Trump administration.
Gubernatorial candidate and current Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser received enthusiastic cheers. He highlighted his lawsuits against the Trump administration “63 times and counting,” describing the president as a lawless bully.
“Do you accommodate or appease, or do you fight for what you believe in?” he asked the crowd. They responded loudly, “fight.”
But he said the state’s problems go beyond President Donald J. Trump, calling out corporate greed, high rents and unaffordable healthcare. He referred to Sen. Michael Bennet, his gubernatorial primary opponent, as the candidate of Washington and billionaires.
U.S Senate candidate and current state Sen. Julie Gonzales, who is challenging Sen. John Hickenlooper in the primary race, received some of the loudest cheers of the day. She noted that Colorado has never elected a woman to the U.S. Senate, and only one Latina has ever served in that body.
“The world is on fire and every day we wake up dreading whatever fresh hell this fascist administration has wrought upon us. But folks like us, we don't have the luxury of opting out. We still have bills to pay. We have loved ones to care for and work to do,” said Gonzales. She pledged to fight for reproductive rights, campaign finance reform and everyday struggles facing communities.
The candidate who receives the most votes through the assembly process gets top line on the party’s ballot for the June 30 primary election.
Some of the biggest Democratic names running for office, however, did not participate in the assembly, but petitioned to get on the ballot, such as Bennet and Hickenlooper. Former state Rep. Shannon Bird and veteran Evan Munsing both made the primary ballot to try to flip Colorado’s 8th Congressional District via petition as well.
The Democratic assembly results offered few surprises.
Governor: Phil Weiser received 90.2 % of the vote at the assembly, guaranteeing topline on the ballot. It sets up the Weiser-Bennet race most Democrats had been anticipating.
Attorney General: The AG’s race could be a four-way primary. Current Secretary of State Jena Griswold received 41.8 percent of the vote at the assembly, just edging out attorney David Seligman, who received 40.6 percent, for top line. Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty received 17.6 % of the vote. He still has a shot to make it onto the primary ballot since he submitted a petition, as well. If the signatures on his petition are authenticated, he will have secured a spot by getting at least 10% at the assembly. Former federal prosecutor Hetal Doshi has also submitted petition signatures to get her name on the ballot.
Secretary of State: Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez got 63.1% of the vote and will get the top slot on the ballot. She will face state Sen. Jessie Danielson in the primary. Danielson got 36.9% of the delegate vote.
Treasurer: State Sen. Jeff Bridges garnered 43.7 percent of the delegate vote. The other two candidates just missed the 30% cut off.
U.S. Senate: Julie Gonzales made the ballot with more than 74.4 percent, getting topline. She will face incumbent Hickenlooper.
The Congressional assemblies happened online Friday evening, with only the 4th Congressional District congressional assembly not yet finalized and scheduled for April 2.
All the current incumbents will be on the ballot. Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette of Denver faces two primary challengers. And two Democrats, Alex Kelloff and Dwayne Romero, made the ballot for the 3rd Congressional District, and Jessica Killin and Joe Reagan made the ballot for the 5th Congressional District.
Democrats in the state’s 8th Congressional District will have three candidates to choose from: state Rep. Manny Rutinel, who went through the assembly process, former state Rep. Shannon Bird and veteran Evan Munsing, who both petitioned to get on.
View from the delegates
Many of the 1,336 delegates from across the state were focused on keeping Colorado blue and trying to find candidates who would “fight” the Trump administration.
Kevin Benitez from Longmont is a father of three, soon to be four. He said the issue foremost on his mind was cost of living. “Affordablity and housing. And I have young children, so looking out for their best interest and future.”
The 29-year-old said he was also concerned about “the attack on immigrants.” His parents were immigrants and it's an issue that hits home for him.
Retired attorney Manuel Solano lives in Adams county and said affordability is his top issue.
“The grocery prices, the gas costs, the housing, it's just war,” he said. “My best friend in high school was killed in Vietnam, and I've been an anti-war individual ever since. I gave a speech with Jane Fonda in 1971 in front of the state Capitol steps voicing opposition to Vietnam, and I continue to be opposed to war, especially when the United States is causing the war.”
Solano is focused on flipping the state’s tossup seat CD8 from red to blue.
Marisa Dirks from Longmont has been involved in Democratic politics for several years. She said she was excited about the assembly process and wants to see more voters participating in primaries.
“Democrats have to get used to robustly debating the candidates during the primary, having these collegial discussions… I mean it’s kind of a treat to have a hard choice because you’ve got a lot of great people running for these positions,” she said.
She plans to support whatever Democrat makes it through the primary. But that’s not the position of all the delegates who attended.
Jacob Fausnaugh is a 26-year-old college student from Manitou Springs, who describes himself as a Democratic socialist. He recently switched his party affiliation from Unaffiliated because he said he wanted to have his voice heard in the Democrat’s caucus process. But he said he doesn’t automatically vote for the Democrat.
“We live in a society where the billionaire class and the Epstein class can just come in and buy our elections, and ultimately, it doesn't matter if there's a D or an R next to their name.”
Fausnaugh said he won’t back candidates he feels are centrist, or don’t have a strong stance on Israel. “Senator John Hickenlooper, there's no way he could ever win my vote. In my congressional district. I like Joe Reagan, but Jessica Killin, I would never vote for her.”
Boyd Boland traveled to Pueblo from Paonia on the Western Slope. He said he was supporting other candidates besides Hickenlooper and Bennet. “They just haven't been speaking out. They haven't been taking action against the Trump administration,” he said.
But not everyone had soured on the incumbents. Emily Sandoval from Longmont voted for Weiser at the assembly, but was leaning toward Bennet in the primary election. “With the environment being my number one issue, I feel like he’s done a lot of work to help the Western Slope, and I think he has more governing experience.”
While there was enthusiasm for the party this cycle, some acknowledged not all feel that way because some do not see the party doing enough to push back on Trump.
Shad Murib addressed the low standing of the party nationwide. “Some say our party’s in crisis, but I saw we’re at a crossroads, and that path we choose right now in rooms like this one will determine what comes next.”
Jim Granath, who has shifted his political views over his 70 years from Republican to Unaffiliated to now a Democrat, doesn’t think the party should be the central issue. He explained it like this, “I think people are wishy-washy about [the party], but when they get down to the issues — look at No Kings today —millions of people in the streets.”
