Hickenlooper defeats Gonzales after progressive primary test in Colorado

Sen. John Hickenlooper secured the Democratic nomination for a second Senate term Tuesday, defeating progressive state Sen. Julie Gonzales and moving one step closer to returning to Washington for what he has said will be his final campaign for public office.

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The primary was a test of whether progressive Democrats could unseat an established incumbent in a statewide race. Hickenlooper’s victory marked another setback for the party’s left wing, which has sought to replace veteran lawmakers with candidates advocating for a more progressive agenda.

Throughout the campaign, Hickenlooper argued that his bipartisan approach and experience delivering victories made him the strongest Democrat to defend the seat while advancing the party’s agenda in Washington.

Hickenlooper was first elected to the Senate in 2020 after defeating Republican incumbent Cory Gardner. He previously served two terms as Colorado governor from 2011 to 2019 and as Denver’s mayor from 2003 to 2011.

During his Senate tenure, he has focused on several issues including infrastructure, clean energy, public lands, gun violence prevention and lowering prescription drug costs while serving on the Senate committees on Commerce, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Small Business.

He entered the race with overwhelming advantages in fundraising and prominent endorsements, including from Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.; and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Gonzales, who has represented Denver in the Colorado Senate since 2019, mounted an insurgent campaign centered on generational change and a more aggressive approach toward Republicans. An attorney and longtime immigration and civil rights advocate, Gonzales argued Democrats should do more to resist President Donald Trump’s agenda and criticized Hickenlooper as too willing to compromise with Republicans.

She campaigned on expanding affordable housing, strengthening workers’ rights, protecting immigrants, securing universal healthcare and taking aggressive action on climate change. Gonzales also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a position that distinguished her from Hickenlooper, even as both candidates embraced progressive immigration reforms.