All eight of Colorado’s congressional districts will have candidates on the June 25 primary ballot. And in three of those districts — the 3rd, 4th and 5th — the seat is open, providing the ingredients for a more boisterous fight than normal ahead of November’s election.
Here is a look at who will be on the ballot in the state’s congressional primaries, district by district. Listed are major-party contenders who qualified by petitioning onto the ballot, by winning support at party assemblies, or by taking both routes. Ballots were certified Friday by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
The listing doesn’t include third-party and independent candidates who are running in this fall’s general election. Candidates in competitive races are listed in ballot order, as determined by district assemblies and drawings.
1st Congressional District
Includes the City and County of Denver
Democratic primary: U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, the stalwart representative of the district centered in liberal-leaning Denver, has occupied the seat since 1997 — the longest of any current Colorado member of Congress, by far — and is unopposed on the ballot. Democrat John Wren has filed as a write-in candidate.
Republican primary: Valdamar Archuleta, a Denver native who told Ballotpedia he’s worked as a massage therapist and photographer, is running unopposed.
2nd Congressional District
Includes the north-central mountains, Fort Collins and Boulder
Democratic primary: U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, now the House’s assistant Democratic leader, has held the seat since 2019. The Lafayette resident is running unopposed.
Republican primary: Marshall Dawson, who lives in Longmont and works in the technology field, is unopposed. The November election will be a rematch of 2022, when Dawson lost to Neguse by more than 40 points.
3rd Congressional District
Covers much of the Western Slope and southern Colorado, including Grand Junction and Pueblo
Republican primary: U.S. Lauren Boebert, the Republican who has occupied the seat since 2021, opted to run in the 4th Congressional District this year. Several candidates have made the ballot in the open GOP race:
- Stephen Varela, a Colorado Board of Education member who lives in Pueblo. He won top-line billing at the district’s Republican assembly.
- Ron Hanks, a former state representative from Fremont County.
- Lew Webb, a former car dealership owner who lives in Durango.
- Russ Andrews, a Carbondale financial adviser.
- Curtis McCrackin, a Delta County businessman.
- Jeff Hurd, a Grand Junction electric co-op attorney.
Democratic primary: Adam Frisch, a former Aspen city councilman, is unopposed. In 2022, he narrowly lost the election to Boebert.
4th Congressional District
Includes much of the Eastern Plains and most of south metro Denver’s Douglas County
Republican primary: After five-term Congressman Ken Buck, a Republican, announced late last year that he wouldn’t run for reelection, a crowded GOP field entered the race in the conservative-leaning district. Buck later resigned his seat in March. Several Republicans have made the ballot:
- Lauren Boebert, the sitting 3rd District congresswoman, who has moved to Windsor in a bid to switch districts. She won top-line billing at the district’s Republican assembly.
- Richard Holtorf, a state representative who lives in Akron.
- Mike Lynch, a state representative who lives in Wellington.
- Deborah Flora, a former conservative radio host who lives in Parker.
- Jerry Sonnenberg, a Logan County commissioner and former state lawmaker.
- Peter Yu, a Weld County businessman.
Democratic primary:
- Trisha Calvarese, a union advocate and National Science Foundation writer who lives in Highlands Ranch. She won top-line billing at the district’s Democratic assembly.
- John Padora, a Severance resident who has worked as a manufacturing engineer and machinist.
- Ike McCorkle, a Marine veteran who lives in Parker and lost to Buck in the 2022 and 2020 elections.
Note: On the same day as the primary, the 4th District also will have a special election — featuring Calvarese and Republican Greg Lopez — to fill the the seat for the rest of Buck’s term this year.
5th Congressional District
Covers most of El Paso County, including Colorado Springs and its suburbs
Republican primary: Colorado’s third open-seat GOP primary comes about as a result of longtime Rep. Doug Lamborn’s decision to step down after his ninth term ends in January. Two candidates have made the ballot:
- Dave Williams, the Colorado Republican Party’s chairman and a former state representative. He secured top-line billing at the district’s GOP assembly.
- Jeff Crank, a political consultant and longtime radio host in Colorado Springs.
Democratic primary:
- River Gassen, a research scientist and graduate student. She secured top-line billing at the district’s Democratic assembly.
- Joe Reagan, an Army veteran and nonprofit executive.
6th Congressional District
Includes Aurora and many of Denver’s southern suburbs
Democratic primary: U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, an Aurora resident who has held the seat since 2019, is running unopposed.
Republican primary: John Fabbricatore, a former director of the Denver field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who lives in Aurora, is unopposed.
7th Congressional District
Includes metro Denver’s Broomfield and Jefferson counties and extends south to Park, Fremont and Custer counties
Democratic primary: U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a former state lawmaker from Lakewood who has held the seat since 2023, is unopposed.
Republican primary: Sergei Matveyuk, who lives in Golden and owns a business that appraises and repairs art and antiques, is unopposed.
8th Congressional District
Includes several north Denver suburbs and Greeley
Democratic primary: U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a Thornton pediatrician who won one of Colorado’s most competitive races in 2022, is unopposed.
Republican primary:
- Gabe Evans, a state representative from Fort Lupton who is an Army veteran and former police officer. He won top-line billing at the district’s GOP assembly.
- Janak Joshi, a former state representative from Colorado Springs who now lives in Thornton and is a retired physician.
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