Sen. John Hickenlooper wins Colorado Democratic Senate primary over progressive challenger

2026 ElectionSen. John Hickenlooper wins Colorado Democratic Senate primary over progressive challengerHickenlooper overcame a bid from state Sen. Julie Gonzales, NBC News projects, after she argued Democrats need a new generation of leadership. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.Michael Brochstein / Zuma Press Wire via Reuters ConnectShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 30, 2026, 9:26 PM EDT / Updated June 30, 2026, 11:04 PM EDTBy Annelise HansonSen. John Hickenlooper has won Colorado’s Democratic Senate primary in his bid for re-election, NBC News projects, defeating state Sen. Julie Gonzales in what he has said will most likely be his final campaign for elected office.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Hickenlooper, 74, a former governor, Denver mayor and brewery owner who flipped the seat for Democrats in 2020, will be 80 years old by the end of his next term if he wins the general election, as he is favored to do in blue Colorado. He led Gonzales 57% to 43% with more than 80% of the expected vote tallied. Gonzales, a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said in her launch video: “John Hickenlooper has been in office for over 20 years. I know we’re not fooled by his so-called commonsense approach.” She spoke out against Hickenlooper’s Senate voting record, including votes to confirm 10 of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, and criticized him for opposing “Medicare for All” despite having campaigned as a progressive.Hickenlooper defended his record throughout the campaign, arguing that his ability to work across party lines has helped him deliver for Colorado. It is not the first time Hickenlooper has faced — and defeated — a progressive challenger.In his 2020 campaign for his first Senate term, he defeated former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in the Democratic primary and went on to win the general election. Hickenloop...