GOP Digest — July 1, 2026 | Colorado GOP Sets 2026 Ticket as Democrats Dump a Congresswoman and a Senator

Mark Baisley emerges as Colorado's GOP Senate nominee:

State Sen. Mark Baisley of Woodland Park is the Republican nominee and will carry the party banner against Democratic incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper in November. Baisley had left a crowded GOP primary for governor to run for the Senate seat. Hickenlooper won his own primary 57%–43% over progressive state Sen. Julie Gonzales, with the Associated Press calling the race shortly after 8:30 p.m.

Barbara Kirkmeyer clings to a narrow lead in the GOP primary:

State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, the establishment favorite, led political newcomer Victor Marx 41%–39%, with state Rep. Scott Bottoms at 20%, in a race still too close to call late Tuesday. Kirkmeyer carried the endorsements of former Gov. Bill Owens and former AG John Suthers as the party's traditional wing worked to keep the nomination from the MAGA outsider.

Grassroots cash reshaped the governor's race:

Marx outraised the rest of the GOP field combined, pulling in $2.8 million from more than 21,000 mostly small-dollar donors, versus $629,544 for Kirkmeyer and $259,341 for Bottoms as of June 28. The gap shows the fundraising muscle of an insurgent candidacy — and the establishment's scramble to answer it.

Democrats oust 29-year Rep. Diana DeGette:

Fifteen-term Denver Rep. Diana DeGette, in office since 1996, lost her primary to 29-year-old newcomer Melat Kiros — a challenger younger than DeGette's tenure. The AP called the upset Tuesday night. It is the latest sign of a Democratic base venting frustration on its own establishment.

A sitting senator denied the governorship:

Attorney General Phil Weiser led sitting U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet 56%–44% in early returns of the Democratic gubernatorial primary, and the Associated Press and multiple Colorado outlets called the race for Weiser. A sitting senator falling to his own party's attorney general in a statewide primary is a striking measure of Democratic discontent in a blue state.