CO-SEN: State Sen. Julie Gonzales launches primary challenge against Sen. Hickenlooper [View all]

[RandySF]

Democratic state Sen. Julie Gonzales on Monday announced she is running to unseat U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper in 2026, aiming to ride a wave of liberal and progressive dissatisfaction with Democratic leadership to an upset primary victory.

Gonzales’ announcement, rumored for weeks, sets up a clash in Colorado between a leading progressive voice at the state Legislature and a business-friendly moderate who has been a fixture in Colorado politics for roughly three decades.

In an interview, Gonzales called the 2026 midterm elections “a defining moment for the future of the Democratic Party.”

“What sort of party do we want to be?” Gonzales said. “Do we want to send back John Hickenlooper, a go-along-to-get-along incrementalist, or do we want to send a proven legislator, with a track record of taking on big fights against a well-funded corporate lobby, who’s gotten s*** done?”



https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/12/08/julie-gonzales-primary-hickenlooper/