Colorado’s 4th District House Race 2026

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.

A candidate questionnaire from The Denver Post offers a window into the competitive race for Colorado's 4th Congressional District. One contender, a retired Navy rear admiral and former Special Assistant to the President for South Asia, outlined priorities centered on lowering costs, balancing the federal budget, and curbing congressional corruption through term limits, age limits, and a ban on lawmakers trading stocks.

On policy specifics, the candidate called for ending tariffs, passing a comprehensive farm bill, and requiring insurers to reimburse rural hospitals more fairly. They said federal land in the district should not be a default target for new oil and gas leasing, favoring local input over blanket Washington mandates. On immigration, they backed stronger border security paired with legal pathways addressing labor shortages in agriculture and rural health care. They also urged more congressional oversight of executive actions, including unauthorized military engagements and federal spending. Incumbent Lauren Boebert and candidate Douglas Mangeris did not respond to the questionnaire.

Candidates for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District seat responded to a Denver Post questionnaire covering affordability, public lands, oversight of the Trump administration, energy leasing, and immigration. Democratic challenger (Romero Group CEO and Army veteran) emphasized repealing tariffs, expanding tax credits, protecting water and public lands, and banning congressional stock trading. Incumbent Rep. Jeff Hurd pointed to his record on extending health insurance premium tax credits, opposing broad tariffs, pushing for stock divestment rules, and securing release of Shoshone Water Rights funding, while backing expanded energy development on federal lands with environmental safeguards. Third-party candidate Cory Robertson called for ending federal money printing, releasing federal land to states, and dissolving ICE, among other libertarian-leaning positions. A fourth candidate, Clifton Brown, did not respond to the questionnaire.

The race highlights contrasts on tariffs, immigration enforcement, and energy leasing on public lands ahead of the midterms, with affordability and trust in Congress emerging as shared themes across candidates.

A candidate for Adams County Commissioner District 3, based in Westminster and holding degrees in political science, philosophy, and law, has outlined top campaign priorities centered on economic opportunity, housing affordability, and preserving Colorado's quality of life. The candidate emphasized creating pathways to the middle class through job growth, workforce development, and economic mobility, alongside expanding housing supply and supporting attainable homeownership so families can remain in the communities where they work.

On collaboration with state and city governments, the candidate pointed to federal funding cuts affecting programs like the EPA, Medicare, and Medicaid as a reason for closer coordination with the State of Colorado to preserve resources and stabilize local communities. The candidate also stressed protecting parks, open spaces, and clean air and water as part of safeguarding Colorado's broader way of life amid growth and cost-of-living pressures facing county residents.