5 takeaways from the 2024 election results in Colorado
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Video: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Colorado voters delivered big wins Tuesday for Democrats and their allies, but conservatives still claimed a few key victories.
Why it matters: The ballot has major implications for the state's future, from far-reaching ballot measures to key congressional races.
State of play: Here's what the results told us about where Colorado stands.
1. Democrats dominated the top of the ticket. Vice President Harris won the state by roughly the same margin as President Biden in 2020,and the party's candidates for Congress mostly outperformed expectations, even in districts that favor Republicans.
What they're saying: "Enthusiasm and energy in Colorado remains very high. Voters have responded to Democrats' pragmatic good government approach," said U.S. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Aurora), who won reelection.
2. Democratic-backed ballot measures surged to victory. The Colorado Constitution now protects abortion and allows for same-sex marriages. In addition, a new tax on guns will fund key Democratic priorities, including mental health.
- Moreover, progressive forces defeated a school choice measure and Proposition 131 to abolish party primaries.
What they're saying: "Colorado is a beacon of liberty for LGBTQ+ people and women in the West, and this passage ensures that no rogue Supreme Court decision can strip Coloradans' fundamental freedoms away," said Colorado Working Families Party state director Wendy Howell.
3. Republicans see a glimmer of hope. Three criminal justice measures backed by conservatives — to increase law enforcement spending, limit parole and disallow bail in certain cases — all appeared headed to victory.
- A fourth declaring school choice a right received majority support but fell shy of the 55% threshold needed to win.
What they're saying: "You do see conservatives in Colorado having an impact in ballot measures on policy issues voters really care about," Kristi Burton Brown from Advance Colorado, a conservative advocacy organization, said in an interview.
4. Denver voters get picky. The state's largest city and Democratic stronghold supported liberal candidates, public employee unions and measures to spend money on Denver Health, schools and transit.
- But Mayor Mike Johnston's $100 million tax hike for affordable housing appeared to be a step too far. The latest results showed it trailing by more than 3 percentage points.
What they're saying: "We know this was a big swing and a big idea," Johnston told Denverite.
5. Western heritage prevails. Animal rights activists tried to make a statement in Colorado with three animal welfare ballot measures, but a prohibition on mountain lion hunting and bans in Denver on slaughterhouses and fur all failed by significant margins.
- Instead, Colorado's legacy of hunting, livestock and cowboy hats lives on.
What they're saying: "By voting down [the fur ban], Denver has chosen to protect jobs, heritage and personal choice, allowing our residents to continue enjoying the products they love and our city's iconic Western culture," Landon Gates, spokesperson for the opposition committee Hands Off My Hat, said in a statement.