2018 Colorado State Senate election|
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 Results:
Democratic gain
Democratic hold Republican hold
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The 2018 Colorado State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Colorado voters elected state senators in 17 of the 35 districts in the state senate. State senators serve four-year terms in the Colorado State Senate. The Colorado Reapportionment Commission provides a statewide map of the state Senate here, and individual district maps are available from the U.S. Census here.
A primary election on June 26, 2018, determined which candidates appeared on the November 6 general election ballot. Primary election results can be obtained from the Colorado Secretary of State's website.[1]
Following the 2016 state Senate elections, Republicans maintained effective control of the Senate with 18 members. Democratic state Senator Cheri Jahn switched from Democrat to unaffiliated on December 29, 2017.[2] However, Sen. Jahn decided to still caucus with Democrats. In the 2018 election, Republicans defended 10 seats, while Democrats defended six seats, with Jahn's one Independent seat up for grabs.
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net one Senate seat while electing a Democrat to the Independent seat. The Democratic candidate won the Independent seat, while Democrats netted two additional seats, giving the party majority status in the chamber. The results ultimately led to Democrats gaining a political trifecta for the first time since 2014.[3]
Background
Heading to the 2018 elections, Republicans held a one-seat majority in the Senate and sought to defend their very narrow majority in the election. Democrats had not held the state Senate since 2014, and aimed at flipping it to potentially achieve a political trifecta, as Democrats were expected to retain control of the state House, and gubernatorial nominee Jared Polis was considered the frontrunner heading up to the polls.[4][5]
Five Senate seats were considered vital to determine the political balance of the Senate and even the political outlook of the state. Democratic women dubbed the "Fab Five" were running to defend or win these five competitive districts. Incumbent Republicans Tim Neville and Beth Humenik were seen as the most vulnerable, as both narrowly won their races in 2014, and they represented districts which Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won in 2016.[4][5]
Summary of results
- Districts not shown would not be up for election until 2020.
Source:[6][7]
Incumbents not seeking re-election
Term-limited incumbents
Seven incumbent senators (three Democrats, three Republicans and one independent) were term-limited and unable to seek a third term.
Retiring incumbents
One incumbent Democrat did not seek re-election despite being able to do so.
Closest races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
- District 15, 6.18%
- District 6, 9.38%
Predictions
Detailed results
Sources:[6][9]
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 9
District 11
District 13
District 15
District 16
District 20
District 22
District 24
District 30
District 32
District 34
Analysis
Democrats handily flipped the state Senate by significantly outperforming their margins compared to 2016 and 2014. Most of the votes that led to the Senate flipping was due to the outsized margins Democratic candidates received throughout the Front Range and ski counties.[3] Independent voters (the largest share of the electorate), along with women voters, younger voters, and suburban voters, helped propel Democrats to victory in many races.[10] Races that were considered competitive but eventually won by the so-called "Fab Five" of Faith Winter, Jessie Danielson, Tammy Story, Kerry Donovan, and Brittany Petersen were won by relatively large margins.[11][12] Due to Democrats flipping the Senate, they were able to gain a political trifecta, as they expanded their majorities in the state House and won all statewide races, including for governor.[11]
The results in the Senate and other elections throughout 2018 were called by observers a "blue wave" in which Democrats made historic gains in Colorado.[13][10]
See also
- United States elections, 2018
- United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado, 2018
- Colorado elections, 2018
- Colorado gubernatorial election, 2018
- Colorado Attorney General election, 2018
- Colorado Secretary of State election, 2018
- Colorado State Treasurer election, 2018
- Colorado State Board of Education election, 2018
- Regents of the University of Colorado election, 2018
- Colorado House of Representatives election, 2018
- Elections in Colorado
References
- ^ "June 26, 2018 Primary Election Official Results". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- ^ "Senator Cheri Jahn switches party". December 29, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Fish, Sandra (November 7, 2018). "Mapping the 2018 vote: Blue Colorado gets bluer and the divide remains". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Colorado's political future comes down to five Senate districts, and money is rushing in". The Denver Post. September 27, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Chávez, Aída (October 30, 2018). "Total Democratic Control of Colorado Comes Down to Five Women". The Intercept. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Colorado State Senate elections, 2018". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- ^ Colorado Secretary of State. "Election Results & Data (Unofficial)". www.sos.state.co.us. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Jacobson, Louis (October 8, 2018). "A Month Before Election Day, Democrats Poised for Legislative Gains". Governing. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ "June 26, 2018 Primary Election Official Results". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Weatherman, Lisa (November 7, 2018). "A Blue Wave Crashes Into Colorado in the 2018 Midterms". 5280. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Herrick, John (November 7, 2018). "Democrats take the Colorado Senate". The Colorado Independent. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ Roberts, Michael. "Colorado Legislature Election Results 2018: Dems Win House and Senate". Westword. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ Roberts, Michael. "Colorado Election Results 2018: Polis, the Blue Wave and the Power of TABOR". Westword. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
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