KDVR

Election officials in Colorado, including Douglas County, continue processing ballots that could decide the still-uncalled congressional race between Republican incumbent Rep. Lauren Boebert and Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher. The Colorado Democratic Party has launched a statewide ballot-curing effort, urging voters with missing or mismatched signatures or missing ID to fix issues by November 12 so their votes count. Secretary of State Jena Griswold said counting, auditing, and canvassing must finish before any mandatory recount is ordered. County clerk officials describe the process as routine, noting a close race could take eight to nine days to resolve.

Colorado's 2026 U.S. House races drew heavy turnout from population centers including Denver, Adams and Douglas counties as vote totals were tallied across the state's congressional districts. Nationally, Democrats picked up a number of House seats, including Colorado's 8th District, where Manny Rutinel flipped the seat.

County-level results help explain how competitive districts, particularly suburban and exurban areas around Denver, shaped the outcome. These breakdowns matter for prediction markets tracking House control, since district-by-district margins inform expectations for future contests in similarly divided Colorado counties.

Rep. Jeff Hurd, a Republican, is seeking a second term representing Colorado's 3rd Congressional District in 2026, facing Democratic challenger Dwayne Romero, a military veteran and former Aspen city councilman. Hurd won the seat in 2024 after Lauren Boebert chose to run in a different district rather than seek reelection. The district, which leans Republican, has been one of the most competitive in the country in recent cycles; in 2022, Boebert survived a recount to beat Adam Frisch by just 546 votes, the closest U.S. House race that year nationally. Hurd defeated Frisch again in 2024.

Colorado's 2026 U.S. Senate race pits Democratic incumbent John Hickenlooper, 74, against Republican State Senator Mark Baisley. Hickenlooper, a former governor, won the seat by roughly nine points in 2020 after the seat had been held by Republicans since 1978, with the exception of 2008. Baisley has served in Colorado politics since 2018 and is aiming to end Hickenlooper's Senate tenure early.

Most polls and analysts consider the race unlikely to be competitive, with Colorado remaining a reliable Democratic stronghold heading into the election.

Colorado's 8th congressional district has emerged as one of the most closely watched U.S. House races nationally, pitting Democratic challenger Manny Rutinel against Republican incumbent Gabe Evans. The district's competitiveness has drawn heavy spending and advertising, with both campaigns among the top fundraisers nationwide for House candidates: Rutinel's campaign ranks 23rd with nearly $9.5 million raised, while Evans ranks 47th with about $7.25 million, according to Federal Election Commission data.

The outcome could factor into which party controls the U.S. House, making it a race of national significance beyond Colorado.