Joe Neguse

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.

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.