Archuleta County has posted unofficial results from the June 30 mail ballot election. The community had only one contested race: the Republican nomination for County Commissioner, District 1, where current Commissioner Steve Wadley is term-limited after nearly 12 years in that position. The unofficial winner in that race was Warren Brown, with 1,618 votes (61%), beating out June Marquez (584 votes; 22%) and Nate Berman (466 votes; 17%).
In District 2, Republican incumbent Ronnie Maez ran unopposed.
No other political party fielded a Commissioner candidate for the Archuleta County primary.
In the statewide elections, five-term US Representative Scott Tipton was ousted in the Republican primary by restaurant owner Lauren Boebert, a candidate who has expressed support from “QAnon” conspiracy theories. Ms. Boebert had criticized Tipton for his record on immigration and for co-sponsoring coronavirus legislation that would give aid to local governments.
Rep. Tipton had won re-election in 2018 by 8 points over his Democratic challenger, Diane Mitsch Bush, who easily won this year’s Democratic primary. The Democratic Party campaign arm quickly went on the offensive, describing Boebert as a fringe candidate. Mitsch Bush reportedly had over $350,000 in her campaign fund as of mid-June, while Boebert reported less than $14,000.
Tipton is joined fellow congressional members Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), Steve King (R-Iowa) and Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) as an incumbent failing to win his party’s nomination.
According to the unofficial returns, the Democratic Party voters selected former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to run against current US Senator Cory Gardner in November. Hickenlooper defeated his challenger, former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff after national Democrats and a super PAC boosted a faltering campaign.
The former Governor had amassed 60% of the vote according to unofficial vote tallies at 8pm. Associated Press projected his victory 23 minutes after polls closed.
“We have to say enough is enough. We must come together to reclaim our country,” Hickenlooper said in a victory speech. He added: “I’ve never lost an election in this state and I don’t intend to lose this one — there is far too much at stake.”
Cory Gardner ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.