Democratic Representative Jared Polis won a third term last night over his Republican Challenger Kevin Lundberg in the state’s 2nd Congressional District.
Congressional redistricting moved more Republicans into the solidly Democratic 2nd Congressional District. But that didn’t hurt the incumbent Polis.
In fact, his lead was so overwhelming early in the night that Polis gave his victory speech before the largest county in his district—Larimer—had reported results.
“I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” said Polis, who told supporters that his victory means voters put results over ideology. Polis said the election came down to basic issues.
“They want a member of Congress that will work with the other side, to move forward to make progress, to improve our schools to balance our budget,” he said.
Polis spent part of his evening at a watch party for Larimer County Democrats, which like most Democratic parties proved boisterous on Tuesday night.
Chair William Russell said the Polis victory and Colorado’s victory for President Obama came from an aggressive ground game this year..
“We left it all in the field,” he said. “Our young people showed up. Our old people showed up.”
Tuesday’s victory marks the third term for Polis. And Colorado State University Political Science Professor Kyle Saunders says barring any political gaffes or scandals the 2nd cd seat will likely remain solidly Democratic in the coming years…
“The demographic trends point to a slight move toward the Democratic over time,” he said.
That doesn’t mean the road ahead for any Republican challenger in the 2nd congressional district is impossible. But challenging Polis’ fundraising muscle will be hard.
