Kirkmeyer, Aadland win Denver-area congressional primaries

Colorado Republicans picked the two candidates they hope can retake the U.S. House.

By the numbers: As of 8:12pm in Colorado's new 8th Congressional District, Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer — who has called herself the go-to candidate on agricultural issues — had secured the nomination with 40.94% of the vote, per the AP.

• Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann, who values "America-first" policies, ushered in 22.78% of the vote.
• Weld County commissioner Lori Saine, who has held the most conservative record in the race from her time as a state lawmaker, stood at 19.64%.

In the rare open-seat race for Colorado's competitive 7th Congressional District, Erik Aadland — an Army veteran and former oil and gas executive who lives in Pine — won the nomination with 47.96% of the vote as of 8:18pm, per the AP.

• Tim Reichert, an economist who lives in Golden and founded the consulting firm Economics Partners, drew 36.42%.

Catch up quick: Colorado's 8th District, encompassing the suburbs north of Denver, was the most-watched race this election with four Republicans running on similar conservative platforms differentiated only by degrees.

• The 7th District — deemed a tossup after U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter's retirement — was also watched closely as three conservatives with widely varying visions competed to take on a well-known Democratic state lawmaker with deep pockets.

What's next: Kirkmeyer in Colorado's 8th District will take on state Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician who represents Thornton and won the Democratic nomination in April.

• Aadland in the 7th District will face Democratic nominee Brittany Pettersen.