CO-01 House winner?

Colorado, once a reliable Republican state, has leaned decidedly Democratic in recent cycles, and 2026 looks similar. Gov. Phil Weiser and Sen. John Hickenlooper are favored for easy wins over underfunded Republican opponents Victor Marx and Mark Baisley, with some GOP figures, including former Rep. Ken Buck, crossing over to back Weiser. The closest races are in the U.S. House: Democrat Manny Rutinel is seen as favored over Republican incumbent Gabe Evans in District 8, while Republican incumbent Jeff Crank is expected to hold District 5 against well-funded Democrat Jessica Killin despite backlash over the Space Command relocation. Analysts attribute the overall Democratic advantage to anti-Trump sentiment and weak Republican statewide recruitment.

Colorado's U.S. Senate contest pits Democratic incumbent John Hickenlooper, seeking a second term after a career as Denver mayor and governor, against Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley of Woodland Park. Baisley campaigns on fiscal restraint, government accountability, property tax reform and expanding first-time homebuyer access, drawing on his aerospace engineering background and work on tech and defense issues in the legislature. Hickenlooper points to his record capping insulin costs, expanding Medicare drug price negotiation, and opposing Trump administration policies on public lands, tariffs, and healthcare cuts, while emphasizing water and healthcare expertise from his time as governor.

Colorado has trended Democratic in recent federal elections, though Republicans have won statewide Senate races before — Cory Gardner held the seat until Hickenlooper unseated him in 2020. With Democrats and Republicans nearly even in active voter registration and unaffiliated voters forming the largest bloc, the race is being watched as a test of whether Republicans can flip a statewide seat amid broader national political headwinds.

The Democratic National Committee has narrowed the field of potential host cities for the 2028 Democratic National Convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia, eliminating both Chicago and Atlanta. DNC Chairman Ken Martin said all five bids were strong and pledged the eventual convention would celebrate the party's future presidential nominee, without detailing why Chicago and Atlanta were cut. Officials had visited all five contenders in April and May, weighing logistics and fundraising capacity. Chicago hosted the 2024 convention, while Atlanta extends a four-decade drought without hosting a DNC.

All three finalists have hosted Democratic conventions before: Philadelphia in 2016, Denver in 2008, and Boston in 2004. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston touted the city's transit and hotel capacity, citing 2008's Obama nomination as proof of concept, while Atlanta's elimination leaves Philadelphia as the only finalist in a presidential battleground state. A final decision is expected later this year, with the convention set for August 7-10, 2028. Republicans have already picked Houston for their 2028 convention. The choice comes as Democrats focus on this year's midterms while facing fundraising challenges and internal debate over Martin's leadership.

A House Judiciary Committee report released Oct. 9 by Chairman Jim Jordan accuses Denver and Boulder of "sanctuary" policies that undermine immigration enforcement, alleging local authorities have ignored detainers for people accused of serious crimes and that prosecutors have given immigration-related leniency in charging and plea decisions. The report singles out Denver District Attorney John Walsh and Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty, and notes Jordan previously subpoenaed Dougherty after he allegedly failed to turn over requested records. The committee is pushing for passage of the "Shutdown Sanctuary Policies Act" and estimates Denver has spent over $356 million on services for migrants.

Dougherty called the report a "political stunt" tied to the midterms, saying his office prioritizes justice and public safety. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston rejected the report's framing, saying Denver remains both a "safe city" and a "welcoming city" with falling crime and homelessness. Gov. Jared Polis maintains Colorado is not a sanctuary state, even as Denver and Boulder continue legal fights with the Trump administration over immigration-linked federal funding restrictions.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank has asked the Justice Department's civil rights division, led by Harmeet K. Dhillon, to investigate last week's anti-ICE student walkout in Denver after the demonstration turned violent. In a Tuesday letter, Crank raised concerns about whether outside groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America, Indivisible and 50501 Colorado helped organize, fund, or influence the protest, and whether counterprotesters and journalists were unlawfully prevented from exercising their rights.

More than 160 Colorado schools were expected to take part in the walkout, organized by the Colorado Youth Coalition, in which hundreds of students gathered at La Alma-Lincoln Park to protest ICE enforcement under the Trump administration. Denver police reported five assaults, with three people hospitalized, after students clashed with counterprotesters, including one incident where a man's pro-ICE sign was torn up and another where a woman was punched. Officers cited two people for graffiti and are still investigating. Melat Kiros, Democratic nominee for Colorado's 1st Congressional District, spoke at the rally.

A second former aide to Colorado state Rep. Sheila Lieder, a Littleton Democrat, has filed suit alleging she forced him to perform campaign duties while on the clock as a taxpayer-funded legislative aide. Nick Buttrey's lawsuit, filed in Denver District Court, names Lieder and the state of Colorado and claims the conduct violated the Fair Campaign Practices Act, which bars use of state resources for political campaigns.

Buttrey says he served as Lieder's senior legislative aide starting in December 2024 and later became her campaign manager without adequate pay, despite an understanding the role would be compensated. He alleges Lieder repeatedly demanded campaign work during aide hours, retaliated after he objected and reported the issue, and fired him in June citing performance issues. Lieder, who is running for state Senate in the Nov. 3 election, has not commented. This marks the second lawsuit against her from a former aide in as many months, following similar allegations by another aide in August, and adds to a string of mistreatment claims against Colorado legislators over the past year.

Arizona Democratic Reps. Greg Stanton, Yassamin Ansari and Adelita Grijalva reported suspicious letters, some containing unknown substances, sent to former office addresses, following a similar incident at Secretary of State Adrian Fontes' office that prompted an Arizona Capitol evacuation; the substance there proved non-hazardous. The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police confirmed a broader nationwide pattern, with over 800 suspicious envelopes sent to congressional and election offices. Colorado lawmakers including Sen. John Hickenlooper and Reps. Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, Brittany Pettersen and Diana DeGette also reported receiving or intercepting such letters. Staff were unharmed; officials called the mailings an intimidation attempt and vowed continued investigation.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating a reported mail theft at El Castillo Apartments near Ninth Avenue and Downing Street in Denver, first reported October 10. A resident notice says someone was caught on camera removing mail using a master key to the building's mailboxes, prompting warnings to residents to use a P.O. box or reroute important mail until the person is identified. There is no confirmation any ballots were taken, and the building's leasing manager said other nearby properties have been targeted too. The Colorado Secretary of State's Office said affected voters can request replacement ballots from their county clerk or vote in person ahead of the election.

A Denver District Court judge heard about 10 hours of testimony in a lawsuit challenging signature gathering for Amendment 87, a Colorado ballot initiative that would replace the state's flat income tax with a six-tier system, raising rates on income over $500,000 while cutting them below $100,000. Voter Michael Hancock argues that 69 paid circulators were not properly registered for this specific initiative and that their signatures should be invalidated, which could knock the measure off the ballot. Defendants, including the Secretary of State's Office and Amendment 87 organizers, countered that most circulators completed required training and registration, and that registration errors are not grounds for disqualification. A ruling is expected by Wednesday.

Denver has joined the League of United Latin American Citizens, Common Cause and UnidosUS in a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, ICE and Acting ICE Director David Venturella, seeking to block armed immigration agents from being stationed at polling sites during the midterms. The suit argues such deployments would violate a Civil War-era law barring armed federal forces at election sites except to repel armed enemies, and cites past ICE activity near polling locations in Texas, California and New York as evidence of a broader "Polling Place Policy."

DHS disputes that any such policy exists, saying enforcement is intelligence-driven and tied to specific threats or active warrants, a point Mullin has echoed. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Clerk and Recorder Paul López say the city has trained election workers to identify and respond to federal agents, and vowed to remove and prosecute any agents unlawfully present. The case adds to Denver's ongoing legal clashes with the administration over immigration enforcement.