This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Colorado Democrats are gathering in Pueblo this Saturday to nominate candidates for the 2026 ballot and decide on the state party’s policy priorities. It’s state assembly time.
It’s a high-stakes election year for Democrats. Every statewide seat is open, and key congressional races are on the line, such as the 8th Congressional District. North of Denver, it’s a toss-up seat that is expected to be one of the most competitive races in the country and could help flip control of the U.S House.
Many Democratic hopefuls will address the crowd of stalwart party members in an effort to garner at least 30 percent of the vote and make it on the ballot.
Still, the caucus and state assembly process is just one way for candidates to get on the election ballot; not every Democrat running for office will be in Pueblo because some candidates decided to skip the process altogether and gathered signatures to petition onto the ballot.
While many of the statewide race candidates will address the Democratic gathering on March 28 in Southern Colorado, the candidates seeking ballot access for the Congressional races will convene virtually for the congressional district assemblies Friday evening.
At the state level, Democrats continue to hold wide majorities in the legislature and hold every statewide seat, and they have a number of candidates expected to be in competitive primary races. The party on Saturday will also discuss the Democratic party platform, while Colorado Democrats are dealing with an increasingly angry base as the country navigates the war in Iran, high gas prices, high cost of housing in Colorado, and the federal immigration crackdown, and state efforts to push back against the Trump administration.
The Democratic Party is also seeking to ensure the voting process itself runs smoothly. The party will not be using the business workflow app Airtable for the state assembly, which had tech issues earlier this month when Democrats rolled it out for the first time at the county assemblies. Instead, delegates will vote online using Google Forms, a system the party said has worked well in the past.
Key Races to watch at the congressional district and state assemblies:
Congressional District 1
Democratic Congresswoman Diana DeGette from Denver is the dean of Colorado’s congressional delegation and underperformed at the county caucus. She’s being challenged at the state assembly by a 28-year-old Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros, who fared significantly better at the county caucus. Another challenger, CU Regent Wanda James, petitioned onto the ballot.
Colorado Governor
The two Democratic frontrunners won’t be going head-to-head at the assembly. U.S Sen. Michael Bennet has petitioned onto the ballot. Attorney General Phil Weiser is going through the assembly, as are three other candidates, Antonio Martinez, William Moses and Erik Underwood.
Colorado Attorney General
Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for Colorado’s 20th Judicial District in Boulder; Secretary of State Jena Griswold; and David Seligman, the head of a labor rights and legal advocacy firm, are all vying for a spot on the ballot to face off in the June 30 primary election. All three could technically make the ballot on Saturday.
Colorado Secretary of State
Democratic Senator Jessie Danielson and Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez are racing for a spot to compete in the primary race.
