Colorado Democrats captured supermajorities in both the House and Senate in Tuesday’s election, giving them greater control than ever over legislative bills and proceedings as a new Democratic governor prepares to take control in 2027.
Needing to win one more seat in both chambers, Democrats did just that in the Senate —while appearing to flip six seats their way in the House, including several in El Paso County that were not thought to be within reach. As of late Tuesday evening, the ruling party is set up to have a 24-11 advantage in the Senate and as much as a 49-16 advantage in the House when the General Assembly convenes in January.
Supermajority status grants the party the ability to override any vetoes coming from the governor (if it votes as a bloc) and the ability to place constitutional amendments onto the ballot without needing the support of any minority-party members. But it also widens the margins on legislative committees, making it harder for the minority party to work with members of the majority party to kill bills before they reach the floor, and it will allow Democrats to claim even more so that they have a mandate from voters.
Why Dems gained supermajorities
Colorado House Majority Leader Monica Duran discusses her coming wage-theft bill in January 2024 at the Capitol surrounded by supporters that include fellow Democratic legislators.
The electoral success came as Democrats rode a national wave of voter discontent to victories in the U.S. House and Senate as well as to wins in all of Colorado’s statewide offices, which elevated Attorney General Phil Weiser to be the state’s new governor. Current Democratic state House leaders made it clear in a news release that voters reacted to what they consider to be dysfunction among Republican leaders in Washington D.C., asking them to govern on a local basis differently than the way that Congress acts.
“Colorado voters agree with Democrats on the issues that matter the most, including lowering costs and making our communities safer,” said outgoing House Majority Leader Monica Duran, who won a race for a Wheat Ridge-area state Senate seat on Tuesday. “Our strong Democratic majority is the direct result of listening to voters, finding solutions and delivering results.”
But the supermajority status also comes as the legislative caucus moves in a more progressive direction, with liberal Democrats having defeated more pragmatic opponents in numerous primary races this year and having ousted two moderate House incumbents. That sets up a dynamic business leaders will watch very closely, particularly as numerous regulatory and taxation issues are expected to go up for consideration next session.
Failed bills could fare differently under supermajorities
Colorado state Rep. Javier Mabrey speaks in January to a coalition of labor groups seeking to upend the Colorado Labor Peace Act.
Democrats, for example, are expected to renew their effort to amend the Colorado Labor Peace Act and make it easier for unions to take negotiating fees directly out of worker paychecks after Gov. Jared Polis vetoed bills to do that the past two years. They also are likely to bring back a measure to allow the state to pass and enforce workplace-safety laws for the first time after that bill died by one vote this year in the Senate. And they could resurrect several tax-break rollbacks that died this spring under threat of veto from Polis.
The fate of the Senate was expected to rest on the outcomes of three races, and all three went Democrats’ way on Tuesday. Those contests included:
- Democrat Kevin Leung ousting GOP Sen. John Carson by a 53% to 47% margin in a Highlands Ranch-area seat that formerly had been a Republican stronghold;
- Democrat Aaron Gutierrez defeating Republican Dana Charles by a 10-point margin for an open, Democrat-held seat in the Pueblo area, a former Democratic stronghold that had been trending more Republican in recent elections; and,
- Democratic Sen. Janice Marchman winning a rematch against former GOP Sen. Rob Woodward for a Loveland-area seat she captured from him four years ago — but this time by a margin of 58% to 42%.
Some House wins were a big surprise
In the House, meanwhile, Republicans suffered a bloodbath the likes of which even the most ardent Democratic leaders didn’t see coming.
Colorado state Rep. Stephanie Vigil criticizes a property-tax-cut bill on the House floor during a 2024 special session.
Democrats recaptured three seats that Republicans had flipped in 2024. Jillaire McMillan avenged a loss to Rep. Dan Woog by winning an Erie-area seat by 18 points. Tommy Butler ousted Rep. Ryan Gonzalez from a Greeley-area seat by a margin of 60% to 40%. And Stephanie Vigil won an open seat in north-central Colorado Springs two years after Republican Rebecca Keltie stole it from Vigil by three votes and then opted not to seek re-election.
Former Loveland Mayor Jacki Marsh also captured an open, targeted GOP-held seat in her area by a six-point margin. And Democrats handily fought off Republican challenges in two seats that the GOP had targeted — a Highlands Ranch-area seat belonging to Rep. Bob Marshall and a Pueblo-area seat belong to Rep. Tisha Mauro.
But the blue wave crested in formerly ruby red El Paso County, where Democrats appear to have captured two seats long held by Republicans. Jeff Livingston maintained a four-point lead late Tuesday over Pricella Tiegen for the open northwest Colorado Springs seat held by Rep. Scott Bottoms, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP gubernatorial nomination this year. And Michelle Tweed held a two-point lead over Brenda Miller for a Fountain-area seat that’s been occupied by retiring GOP Rep. Mary Bradfield.
Historical precedent
Jeff Livingston, who appears to have won a race for an open House seat in the Colorado Springs area, speaks to a Colorado Chamber of Commerce gathering in July.
This upcoming legislative session will be the first time in memory when Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers. And their 49 seats in the House represent the first time in modern Colorado history that any one party has effectively controlled 75% of that chamber’s votes.
The first impact of the wave election may be seen later this week, when Democrats are expected to gather to elect new leaders in the House, as both Duran and Speaker Julie McCluskie, who is term-limited, will not be returning to the chamber. It’s likely that ascendant progressives will seek to hold some of the leadership positions under the new House makeup.
Progressives also are likely to seek more roles in the Senate. However, it’s expected that Senate President James Coleman, who works closely with all factions of his caucus, will continue in the top position in that chamber.