Local Voters Render Mixed Results
Rick Langenberg
So much for apathy in Teller County, with the June 30 primary vote generating a nearly 50 percent turnout in the local High Country, based on preliminary results.
That’s an amazing participation rate for the contest that will serve as the preamble for the big general election showdown in November.
Yes, the so-called political experts got this one way wrong, as many insiders feared a dismal turnout.
By Tuesday evening, nearly 8,000 ballots were cast, which is quite impressive for a primary election that usually only attracts hard-core voters from the two major parties.
Election Results Mixed
As in most primary contests, Teller voters favored candidates that didn’t necessarily win at the state level. In the heated race for governor which will determine who will replace Jared Polis, who is term-limited, Teller Democrats threw their support behind U.S. Senator Michael Bennet by a 54 to 44 percent margin.
But in the overall state contest, and a race that presented the biggest surprise of the evening, Attorney General Phil Weiser emerged as the clear winner. This race produced the most political ads, with both candidates clearly taking off their gloves, even though they agreed on most issues.
This contest really became a battle for which candidate would fight President Donald Trump the most. Weiser won the support of most Democrats due to the volume of successful lawsuits he filed against the president.
With this win, Weiser is in the driver’s seat to become the next governor, based on the state’s growing designation as a blue zone.
On the Republican side, Teller voters favored Victor Marx, a Marine veteran and founder of All Things Possible Ministries, in the three-way battle for the GOP nomination for governor. This is a race that Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell made a bid for in the preliminary stages of the contest.
Marx received 46 percent of the local Republican tallies, way more than the other two contenders, Scott Bottoms and Barb Kirkmeyer. On the state level, Kirkmeyer, the state Senator for District 23, appeared headed for victory. But Marx, who was heavily opposed by his rival candidates, made a strong showing.
If the preliminary results hold up, the state will be set for a showdown between Weiser and Kirkmeyer.
In other races, Teller voters followed state trends more closely.
In the crowded race for Attorney General, Secretary of State Jena Griswold snagged 65 percent of the local vote in her bid for the party’s nomination. She faced competition from three other candidates.
On the state level, Griswold, who clearly outspent her opponents in television advertising, easily cruised to a victory.
On the Republican contest, Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen got 64 percent of the Teller vote in a contest against David Wilson. This followed the trend of the overall state verdict.
As a result, the forthcoming general election battle for this seat, pitting Allen against Griswold will become one of the most heated. Both candidates have strong supporters among their party leaders. This one too is expected to generate heated debates.
In other key races, Teller Dems overwhelmingly favored U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, a former governor and mayor of Denver, in his quest for the party’s nomination against Julie Gonzalez.
He will square off against state Senator Mark Baisley, a Republican, in the general election showdown. Baisley is well known in the area and frequently attends local forums.
And Michelle Gray was the local favorite in the GOP race for District 60 state representative slot.
The only local race under contention in November will be that of District 2 County Commissioner. Based on Tuesday’s results, this one will pit Republican nominee and business owner Carl Andersen against Democrat Dennis Luttrell, who served as a county commissioner in the 1980s.
