Progressive incumbent state lawmakers are facing an uphill battle for re-election, with one key incumbent losing a seat in Denver.
State of play: Denver state Rep. Elisabeth Epps lost to challenger Sean Camacho in House District 6 in east Denver, with the AP calling the race shortly before 8:30pm.
Meanwhile, incumbent Tim Hernández was trailing against his primary challenger, Cecelia Espenoza. Early returns showed him down by nearly double-digits.
The intrigue: The challengers were backed by leaders in their own party and big-money interests .
State of play: Whoever wins the primary in the heavily-Democratic districts will most likely win the seat outright.
Data: Associated Press; Chart: Axios Visuals
Context: Epps, an attorney who has publicly called for abolishing the police, narrowly won the east Denver seat in 2022 . Her challenger, Camacho, is a lawyer and former military intelligence officer.
- Hernández and Espenoza, a former federal judge, are again vying for the same position. Hernández got the upper hand in August 2023 to serve in the northwest Denver seat during a vacancy meeting.