The outcome of Tuesday’s marquee primary race felt almost preordained. Andrew Romanoff put up a good fight on the left to challenge former Gov. John Hickenlooper for the Democratic nomination for this fall’s U.S. Senate election, but Romanoff was going down to defeat by about 60% to 40% when he conceded. “I wish we could have done more,” he told his supporters. “I’m not sure what that would have been.”
Romanoff was a supporter of the Green New Deal, which had been advanced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the socialist firebrand from Queens, New York. Hickenlooper is known for brokering compromises with Colorado’s once-lucrative energy industries, which fueled state spending strongly supported by Democrats. Add Hickenlooper’s name recognition and we cannot think what else Romanoff could have done, either.
The two men remain respected colleagues, however, and we expect to see Romanoff campaigning for Hickenlooper when Hickenlooper faces off against incumbent Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who comes armed with the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Down ballot, we were impressed to see how Lauren Boebert of Rifle thumped Rep. Scott Tipton of Cortez in the Republican primary for U.S. House. She was leading the five-term incumbent by about 54% to 46% before Tipton graciously conceded. In the Democratic House primary, Diane Mitsch Bush, a party soldier from Steamboat Springs who lost decisively to Tipton in 2018, defeated more moderate challenger James Iacino with about 61% of the vote.
Mitsch Bush will have her hands full with Boebert, a gun-rights enthusiast who has opposed coronavirus restrictions and who motivates district Republicans and others with her vigor. If the telegenic Boebert does not have Fox News loudly in her corner, we will eat our mail ballot.
