Colorado Election Results 2018: Polis, the Blue Wave and the Power of TABOR

Editor's note: For more election results, click to access "Colorado Legislature Election Results 2018: Dems Win House and Senate" and "Denver Ballot Issue Election Results 2018: Almost Everything Wins."

Although the November 2018 election didn't produce a Democratic blue wave from coast to coast, the phenomenon hit Colorado with full fury, leading to victories for gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis, attorney general-elect Phil Weiser, incoming Secretary of State Jena Griswold and plenty of their partisans.

As for Douglas Bruce, author of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, he wasn't on the ballot, but he was a winner, too. The failures of two highway measures, Proposition 109 and Proposition 110 and Amendment 73, which would have substantially bumped up funding for education, shows that TABOR, which requires citizens to approve tax increases by referendum, remains a powerful force more than a quarter-century after its passage.

The Polis campaign benefited from a weak Republican challenger, Walker Stapleton, and enormous resources mainly supplied by the candidate himself. And while Polis downplayed the history he would make as the first openly gay man to serve as Colorado's governor during the run-up to Election Day, this breakthrough was a theme in responses to his triumph in national coverage and social-media responses.

The massive Democratic turnout proved extremely beneficial for down-ballot hopefuls. Weiser faced off against Republican George Brauchler, a much-better-known and highly articulate politician, but won anyhow. Likewise, Griswold bested current Secretary of State Wayne Williams, who had earned well-deserved praise from folks on both sides of the aisle, thanks in large part to her party affiliation.

In regard to ballot measures, props 109 and 110 and Amendment 73 weren't the only prominent proposals to sink. Also falling short was Proposition 112, which called for a 2,500-foot setback on new oil and gas projects. The energy industry vigorously opposed the measure, and the piles of cash it invested paid off. But voters also turned thumbs down on Amendment 74, a poison pill intended to essentially kill 112 had it passed.

Also going down were Amendment V, which would have allowed 21-year-olds to run for state office, and Amendment 75, an intended counter to millionaire self-funders. But by passing Amendment A, Coloradans managed to remove a line about slavery from the state constitution after an embarrassing botch in 2016, and the gerrymandering-addressing amendments Y and Z succeeded, too.

Continue to see results for these statewide races and many more from the Colorado Secretary of State's Office updated as of 4:02 a.m. on Wednesday, November 7.
US CONGRESS

Representative to the 116th United States Congress — District 1

Percentage Reporting: 67 percent
REP Charles Casper Stockham, 25.93 percent — 53,382
DEM Diana DeGette, 71.57, percent — 147,329
LBR Raymon Anthony Doane, 2.49 percent — 5,135

Representative to the 116th United States Congress — District 2

Percentage Reporting: 70 percent
DEM Joe Neguse, 60.26 percent — 211,340
REP Peter Yu, 34.37 percent — 120,546
LBR Roger Barris, 1.91 percent — 6,687
IND Nick Thomas, 3.46 percent —12,150

Representative to the 116th United States Congress — District 3

Percentage Reporting: 100 percent
REP Scott R. Tipton, 51.96 percent — 159,878
DEM Diane Mitsch Bush, 43.33 percent — 133,345
LBR Gaylon Kent, 1.60 percent — 4,932
IND Mary M. Malarsie, 3.11 percent — 9,557

Representative to the 116th United States Congress — District 4

Percentage Reporting: 82 percent
DEM Karen McCormick, 37.96 percent — 109,881
REP Ken Buck, 62.04 percent — 179,592

Representative to the 116th United States Congress — District 5

Percentage Reporting: 80 percent
DEM Stephany Rose Spaulding, 38.14 percent — 90,143
REP Doug Lamborn, 58.56 percent — 138,434
LBR Douglas Randall, 3.30 percent — 7,800

Representative to the 116th United States Congress — District 6

Percentage Reporting: 100 percent
REP Mike Coffman, 44.24 percent — 125,963
DEM Jason Crow, 53.12 percent — 151,239
LBR Kat Martin, 1.45 percent — 4,114
UAF Dan Chapin, 1.19 percent — 3,383

STATE OFFICES & QUESTIONS

Governor/Lieutenant Governor

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
DEM Jared Polis/Dianne Primavera, 51.60 percent — 997,470
REP Walker Stapleton/Lang Sias, 44.96 percent — 869,089
UNI Bill Hammons/Eric Bodenstab, 0.95 percent — 18,439
LBR Scott Helker/Michele Poague, 2.49 percent — 48,085

Secretary of State

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
REP Wayne Williams, 46.79 percent — 894,610
DEM Jena Griswold, 50.88 percent — 972,805
ACN Amanda Campbell, 1.87 percent — 35,758
APV Blake Huber, 0.46 percent — 8,713

State Treasurer

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
REP Brian Watson, 46.87 percent — 890,294
DEM Dave Young, 50.58 percent — 960,749
ACN Gerald F. Kilpatrick, 2.55 percent — 48,421

Attorney General

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
DEM Phil Weiser, 49.68 percent — 949,996
REP George Brauchler, 47.48 percent — 907,853
LBR William F. Robinson III, 2.84 percent — 54,343

State Board of Education Member — Congressional District 2

Percentage Reporting: 70 percent
REP Johnny Barrett, 36.90 percent — 125,897
DEM Angelika Schroeder, 63.10 percent — 215,260

State Board of Education Member — Congressional District 4

Percentage Reporting: 82 percent
DEM Tim Krug, 37.65 percent — 105,204
REP Debora L. Scheffel, 62.35 percent — 174,196

Regent of the University of Colorado — At Large

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
DEM Lesley Smith, 50.18 percent — 924,734
REP Ken Montera, 45.26 percent — 834,056
UNI Christopher E. Otwell, 1.11 percent — 20,522
LBR James K. Treibert, 3.44 percent — 63,350

Regent of the University of Colorado — Congressional District 3

Percentage Reporting: 100 percent
DEM Alvin Rivera, 43.06 percent — 123,896
REP Glen H. Gallegos, 51.32 percent — 147,659
LBR Michael Stapleton, 5.62 percent — 16,182

Regent of the University of Colorado — Congressional District 5

Percentage Reporting: 80 percent
DEM Tony Wolusky, 37.49 percent — 85,298
REP Chance Hill, 62.51 percent — 142,221

District Attorney — 20th Judicial District

Percentage Reporting: 100 percent
DEM Michael Dougherty, 100.00 percent — 103,215

Regional Transportation District Director — District B

Percentage Reporting: 100 percent
Chris Martinez, 32.88 percent — 10,155
Shontel Marie Lewis, 45.68 percent — 14,108
JoyAnn Keener Ruscha, 21.44 percent — 6,623

Regional Transportation District Director — District C

Percentage Reporting: 50 percent
Angie Rivera-Malpiede, 34.82 percent — 9,390
Bonnie Ernest Archuleta, 20.72 percent — 5,588
Julia Stewart, 31.60 percent — 8,520
Eliot Tipton, 12.86 percent — 3,468

Regional Transportation District Director — District J

Percentage Reporting: 50 percent
Vince Buzek, 100.00 — 40,935

Regional Transportation District Director — District K

Percentage Reporting: 50 percent
Troy L. Whitmore, 46.41 percent — 21,224
Paul D. Solano, 41.97 percent — 19,193
Gerald Stephen Jaramillo, 11.63 percent — 5,317

Regional Transportation District Director — District L

Percentage Reporting: 50 percent
Phil Munsterman, 14.85 percent — 7,625
Bob Wilson, 29.01 percent — 14,894
Shelley Cook, 56.14 percent — 28,819

Regional Transportation District Director — District N

Percentage Reporting: 100 percent
Brad K. Evans, 29.98 percent — 16,477
Margaret (Peggy) A. Catlin, 38.89 percent — 21,377
Jennifer Hope, 31.13 percent — 17,109

Regional Transportation District Director — District O

Percentage Reporting: 100 percent
Lynn Guissinger, 100.00 percent — 58,638

Amendment V (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 34.92 percent — 658,741
No/Against, 65.08 percent — 1,227,760

Amendment W (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 53.28 percent — 962,929
No/Against, 46.72 percent — 844,275

Amendment X (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 60.71 percent — 1,095,461
No/Against, 39.29 percent — 708,987

Amendment Y (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 71.22 percent — 1,316,703
No/Against, 28.78 percent — 532,025

Amendment Z (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 70.83 percent — 1,297,604
No/Against, 29.17 percent — 534,354

Amendment A (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 65.01 percent — 1,205,502
No/Against, 34.99 percent — 648,912

Amendment 73 (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 44.53 percent — 836,626
No/Against, 55.47 percent — 1,042,364

Amendment 74 (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 46.39 percent — 873,977
No/Against, 53.61 percent — 1,009,986

Amendment 75 (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 33.83 percent — 622,212
No/Against, 66.17 percent — 1,217,090

Proposition 109 (STATUTORY)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 38.71 percent — 722,211
No/Against, 61.29 percent — 1,143,553

Proposition 110 (STATUTORY)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 40.32 percent — 756,049
No/Against, 59.68 percent — 1,119,161

Proposition 111 (STATUTORY)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 76.71 percent — 1,423,410
No/Against, 23.29 percent — 432,127

Proposition 112 (STATUTORY)

Percentage Reporting: 90 percent
Yes/For, 43.25 percent — 825,036
No/Against, 56.75 percent — 1,082,392