When President Donald Trump took office in 2016, MAGA Republicans took control of the Colorado GOP and Democrats took control of the state government. It was a turning point in Colorado politics. The 2026 primary may be another one of those watershed moments.
The biggest winner of the election may not be Democratic socialists or MAGA Republicans but Donald Trump, who has re-defined the parties, dominated the debates, and driven many voters to the far left and far right.
“I think the overarching takeaway is that the establishment got kicked in the teeth,” said CBS Colorado Democratic Analyst Mike Dino.
Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images
Meanwhile, he said political newcomers like Democratic socialist Melat Kiros got a shot in the arm.
“People look at her, a young woman with a lot of energy who wants to be in the political world, who wants to be in Congress, wants to be in Washington, and I don’t think they’re listening to what she’s saying.”
CBS Colorado Republican Analyst Dick Wadhams says voters apparently aren’t listening to Victor Marx either. The Republican nominee for Governor has said he killed someone, performed exorcisms, and was the first American in Gaza after Hamas attack on Israel.
“This entire election will probably be fought over how weird is Victor Marx. We haven’t learned everything about him. There’s more to come on him I’m sure,” Wadhams said. “The question is not if he hurts Republicans, the question is going to be how badly he hurts Republicans.”
Wadhams said Democrats will try to tie every GOP candidate in Colorado to Marx and Trump.
“It’s a bad one-two punch against Republicans.”
It could give Democrats a super majority in the State House and cost Republicans control of the U.S. House.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images 
Congressman Gabe Evans race will be key. He faces Democrat Manny Rutinel who railed against ranchers and fracking before running in what is perhaps the top oil and beef producing congressional district in the state.
Dino said that it doesn’t matter, “I think you could put any Democrat up in that race and they’re going to win, maybe not by a big margin depending on where they come on the ideological spectrum, but they’re going to win because of Trump and because Republicans here found the goofiest guy they could to be to be their nominee for Governor.”
If Marx hurts Republicans, Wadhams said that Kiros – who is not only socialist but anti-Israel – will hurt Democrats, “Democrats need to have their feet held to the fire, do you agree with her or not on that and so far, they haven’t done it.”
Both Wadhams and Dino say Trump will continue to have the biggest impact in Colorado. In addition to Evans, they say, U.S. Representative Jeff Crank in Congressional District 5 will have a tough race.
Trump won District 5, which encompasses primarily El Paso County, by 20 points in 2016 but by just 9 points in 2024.
Wadhams said State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer’s loss to Marx should be a warning to all establishment Republicans. He says she was the most formidable candidate the GOP has fielded in 20 years and yet many Republican donors didn’t help her because they have given up on an establishment Republicans winning statewide races in Colorado.
