The Results Are In...Colorado 2016 Election Results: Elections

For full election results: http://data.denverpost.com/election/results/2016/

Election Results as of 4:45am, November 9th

During the 2016 election, Colorado voters were tasked with casting a ballot for president, US Senator, seven congressional seats, 65 state house seats, 18 senate seats, nine statewide ballot measures, and many more local ballot initiatives. It all came to a close at 7pm on Tuesday night after over a year of campaigning, controversy, negative rhetoric, and the most crowded ballot in recent history.  The results seen in Colorado in all categories were unexpected and unprepared for. Hillary Clinton did win Colorado with 47% of the vote to Donald Trump’s 44% and Democrat incumbent Senator Michael Bennet defeated Republican challenger Daryl Glenn with 49.1% of the vote. Yet in what became two of the most contested congressional races in the United States, incumbent Congressmen Mike Coffman and Scott Tipton resoundingly defeated their Democrat challengers with Mike Coffman defeating Morgan Carroll 51.5% to 42.5% and Scott Tipton besting Gail Schwartz with 54.4% to her 40.7%.  Results in the state legislative races were down right contradictory as well. While House Democrats picked up three additional seats to increase their majority to 37 (House Republicans at 28 members), the Senate Republicans were able to keep control of the Senate by one vote so it will stay at a 18-17 split.  
 
Results on the nine statewide ballot measures were varied widely. Most notably Amendment 69 to create a single payer health care system in Colorado was crushed only receiving 20.3% of the vote. The constitutional amendment to raise the minimum wage to $12 by 2020 passed with 54.5% of the vote and the proposal to Raise the Bar making it harder to amend Colorado’s constitution passed with 56.9% of Coloradans supporting the measure.
 
House Legislative Race Outcomes –Democrats Hold the House
There were a handful of competitive House races which Democrats won handily. They will enter the 2017 legislative session with a majority of 37 seats to the Republicans 28 seats. Below are the results as 4:45am on November 9th.
 
In  the open HD 3 seat, Democrat Jeff Bridges defeated Republican Katy Brown with 52.5% of the vote to her 47.4%. Former Democrat Representative Tony Exum won back HD 17 defeating incumbent Republican Representative Kit Roupe in HD 17. Representative Roupe only received 42.5% of the vote while Tony Exum secured 48.9% of the vote. In Adams County, Democrat Dafna Michaelson Jenet beat incumbent HD 30 Republican Representative Joann Windholz with 52.1% of the vote to Windholz’s 47.8% of the vote. Current Representative of HD 31 Joe Salazar was able to hold onto his seat with 54.5% of the vote to challenger Republican Jessica Sandgren’s 45.4% of the vote.  HD 59, which has changed hands each of the last three election cycles, is predicted to change hands once again with Democrat Barbara McLachlan currently winning with 50.6% of the vote to incumbent Representative J Paul Brown’s 49.3%.
 
Senate Legislative Race Outcomes – Republicans Hold the Senate
Senate Democrats set their sights on winning back the majority in the Senate ever since they narrowly lost it in 2014. Millions of dollars were spent on three races in Jefferson County, Arapahoe County, and Adams County. In the end Senate Republicans only had to win one of the three seats and they were able to do so. Incumbent Republican Senator Laura Woods is losing to former Democrat Senator Rachel Zenzinger in a rematch of their 2014 race. Zenzinger captured 48% of the vote to Woods 46.2% of the vote with 81% of precincts reporting(race still pending). Democrat Representative Dan Kagan challenged former  Republican Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Doty for HD 26. Representative Kagan is on track to pull out a clear victory with 53.2% of the vote to Doty’s 46.7% with 71% of the vote reporting. Representative Kevin Priola looks to be the race that would return Republicans to leadership. With officially 100% of the vote reporting he won with 53.8% of the vote to former Representative Jenise May’s 46.1%.
 
Statewide Ballot Initiative Outcomes
Not only did this election see more statewide ballot measures proposed than any in recent memory but more money was spent to pass or defeat these measures than ever before. The October 31, 2016 campaign finance report showed $47.78 million spent on the ballot initiatives. Over $18 million was spent  by the opposition campaign to Amendment 72 (Increase Tobacco Tax), $8 million expended on behalf of Proposition 106 (Medical Aid in Dying), $6.55 million in support of Amendment 70 (Minimum Wage), $5.5 million for the passage of Amendment 71 (Raise the Bar), about $4.8 million expended on Proposition 107 and 108 (Let Colorado Vote), $4.5 million spent on Amendment 69 (Universal Health Care), a mere $62,048 to pass Amendment T (Removal of Slavery from the Constitution), and no money spent on behalf of Amendment U (Exempting Tax on Possessory Interests).
 
Amendment U – Defeated with 56.8% voting no.
Amendment T – Defeated with 50.7% voting no.
Amendment 69: Colorado Care – Defeated with 79.6% voting no.
Amendment 70: Raise the Minimum Wage – Passed with 54.4% voting yes.
Amendment 71: Raise the Bar – Passed with 56.9% voting yes.
Amendment 72: Increase Tobacco Tax – Defeated with 53.6% voting no.
 
Proposition 106: Medical Aid in Dying – Passed with 64.6% voting yes.
Proposition 107: Presidential Primaries – Passed with 63.6% voting yes.
Proposition 108: Semi Open Primaries – Passed with 52.3% voting yes.
 
State Board of Education
Three incumbent members of the state board of education were up for reelection Tuesday night. Although Democrats thought they had a chance to win a seat and retake the majority, all three incumbent candidates are projected to win reelection with over 70% of the vote reporting in each district. Republican Joyce Rankin defeated Christine Pacheco-Koveleski with 58.8% of the vote in district 3. In District 5, state board of education chair Steve Durham won reelection with 67.4% of the vote over his opponent Jeff Walker. Lastly, incumbent Republican Deb Scheffel is projected to squeak out a victory over formidable opponent democrat Rebecca McClellan with 50.5% of the vote to McClellan’s 49.4% of the vote with 80% of precincts reporting.
 
What’s Next
All four caucuses will hold leadership elections on Thursday morning. The newly elected leadership will then begin to make committee assignments and concrete agenda planning for the 2017 legislative session. The Joint Budget Committee will hold its first meeting on Monday, November 14th where the Governor will review his FY 2017-18 budget proposal. The JBC will continue their budget briefing and hearing process through November and December. Legislators both incumbent and newly elected must submit 3 of their bill titles to Legislative Council by December 1st. The official 2017 legislative session kicks off on Wednesday, January 11th at 10am and the Governor will give his state of the state speech on Thursday, January 12th.
 
For full election results: http://data.denverpost.com/election/results/2016/