DENVER — The more high profile outcomes of the November election includes Republicans flipping enough seats in the Colorado House of Representatives to cancel ruling Democrats’ supermajority. There was also Congressional District 8, where GOP candidates flipped both the US House and state board of education seats to the red column. Perhaps equally significant, though lesser known, is the Democrats’ targeted effort to flip county commissioner seats around the state, where after all the votes were counted they actually ended up losing ground.
When the state party’s “Colorado County Comeback” effort was launched early in the 2024 campaign season, Democrats said the project would “prioritize targeted investments into counties and candidates, comprehensive campaign planning, rigorous training, and robust staff support for dynamic campaigns led by both incumbents and challengers.”
“It’s time to end the supermajority of far-right Republican commissioners in Colorado,” the state party’s website reads, noting that only 34 percent of county commissioners in Colorado are Democrats. “The next frontier of Colorado Politics is local. By focusing on local races, we’ll cultivate grassroots success that can translate into significant victories at the congressional and statewide levels.”
In July the party divvied up a total of $30,000 to local Democrats in Alamosa, Chaffee, Douglas, El Paso, Garfield, Grand, Huerfano, Mesa, Ouray, Park, Pueblo, and Routt counties.
It is unclear how many more grants and for how much were awarded, but what was clear is it didn’t work.
Democrats did manage to increase an existing majority in one county (Chaffee), while Republicans solidified control of Huerfano County by knocking off a Democrat incumbent, and actually flipped Pueblo County—formerly a Democrat stronghold—to a GOP majority.
Here is the breakdown of what the Democrats gained/lost in 2024 at the county level where they openly targeted seats:
Alamosa County —
- Incumbent Republican Vern Heersink ran unopposed and incumbent Lorie Laske won her race by over 20 percent.
- Pre-election: 3-0 Republican majority
- Post-election: 3-0 Republican majority
Chaffee County —
- Democrat candidates Dave Armstrong and Gina Lucrezi, won the two open commission seats, one of which (District 2) was previously held by Greg Felt, who is unaffiliated, moving the balance of power to a 3-0 Democrat majority.
- Pre-election: 2 Democrats, 1 unaffiliated.
- Post-election: 3-0 Democrat majority
Douglas County —
- Incumbent George Teal handily won reelection in District 2, while former state Rep. Kevin Van Winkle easily won the open District 1 seat by nearly 58 percent.
- Pre-election: 3-0 Republican
- Post-election: 3-0 Republican
El Paso —
- Incumbent Carrie Geitner won reelection, while Republicans Bill Wysong and Cory Applegate won two open seats.
- Pre-election: 5-0 Republican
- Post-election: 5-0 Republican
Garfield County —
- Republican incumbent Mike Samson won reelection, while former State Senator Perry Will won the open District 2 seat by seven percent.
- Pre-election: 3-0 Republican
- Post-election: 3-0 Republican
Grand County —
- Incumbent Republican Merritt Linke won reelection, while Republican Ed Raegner won the open District 1 seat by nearly 15 percent.
- Pre-election: 3-0 Republican
- Post-election: 3-0 Republican
Huerfano County —
- Incumbent Republican Mitchell Wardell won reelection, while Democrat incumbent Arica Andreatta narrowly lost her District 2 seat to Republican challenger Jim Chamberlain.
- Pre-election: 2-1 Republican
- Post-election: 3-0 Republican
Mesa County —
- Incumbent Republican Cody Davis cruised to reelection by over 20 points, while Republican JJ Fletcher ran unopposed for the open District 3 seat.
- Pre-election 3-0 Republican
- Post-election 3-0 Republican.
Ouray County —
- Incumbent Democrats Lynn Padgett and Jake Niece both won reelection (with Niece running unopposed). Sitting Commissioner Michelle Nauer is unaffiliated, leaving the makeup of the commission unchanged.
- Pre-election: 2 Democrats, 1 unaffiliated.
- Post-election: 2 Democrats, 1 unaffiliated
Park County —
- Incumbent Republican Amy Mitchell easily won reelection, while Republican Jason Gemmer won the open District 2 seat by nearly 16 percent.
- Pre-election: 3-0 Republican majority
- Post-election: 3-0 Republican majority
Pueblo —
- Incumbent Democrat Daneya Esgar lost her reelection bid to Republican Paul McPheeters, while Democrat Miles Lucero edged out his Republican opponent 42-40 in the District 1 race (with sitting commissioner Epimenio “Eppie” Griego grabbing just under 18 percent of the vote, running as an unaffiliated. Griego won his seat first in 2021 as Democrat before unaffiliating), flipping the commission to a 2-1 GOP majority.
- Pre-election: 2-1 Democrat
- Post-election: 2-1 Republican
Routt County —
- Incumbent Democrat Tim Redmond was reelected and Democrat Angelica Salinas easily won an open District 1 seat.
- Pre-election 3-0 Democrat
- Post-election 3-0 Democrat
A request for comment from Complete Colorado to Democrat Party Chairman Shad Murib was not answered.
