CdeBaca loses re-election bid, one council race too close to call
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Denver voters rejected two prominent progressive Democrats in city council races, and a third is now too close to call.
Driving the news: Candi CdeBaca, the most progressive elected official in Denver, lost her re-election bid to establishment-backed Darrell Watson in the redrawn District 9.
- Watson received 62% of the vote compared to 38% for CdeBaca, according to the final preliminary vote counts this morning. He declared victory about 11pm.
- His win came after outside super PACs and special interests spent about $600,000 to defeat CdeBaca.
Of note: In District 10, incumbent Chris Hinds solidly won a second term with 56% of the vote, compared to 44% for challenger Shannon Hoffman.
The intrigue: The closest race is District 8, where progressive candidate Shontel Lewis leads Brad Revare by a narrow 51 votes, according to the latest tally.
- About 12,500 votes remain uncounted citywide, but it's not clear how many in this district are outstanding.
The big picture: Progressive candidates — backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and the Colorado Working Families Party — hoped to capture four seats on the 13-member council, building on progressive Sarah Parady's at-large win in April's election.
Go deeper: Miss any of the action on Election Day? Get a recap from our live blog.
