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Gonzales Launches Primary Challenge to Hickenlooper as Report Details Efforts to Deter Her

New disclosures detail alleged pressure to deter the challenge.

Colorado state Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat and the Judiciary Committee's chair, addresses the crowd during hearings on HB-1312 in the Old Supreme Court hearing room at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on April 30, 2025. The committee listened to testimony from opponents and proponents of the bill, which would extend legal protections to transgender people, for more than eight hours. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper joins a rally in support of a SAG-AFTRA strike at City Park in Denver on Friday, August 25, 2023. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Overview

  • State Sen. Julie Gonzales formally entered the Democratic primary on Dec. 8, casting herself as an insurgent progressive and criticizing Sen. John Hickenlooper for voting to confirm 10 of Trump’s cabinet nominees, per a CBS analysis.
  • The Denver Post reported Dec. 9 that a party campaign fund official and other allies sought to dissuade the run, with consultants alleging threats of blacklisting and promises of future contracts if the campaign stood down.
  • Party spokesman Andrew Nicla said the official believed he was speaking in a personal capacity and reiterated that the state party remains neutral in primaries.
  • Digital tactics preceded the launch, including domain registrations referencing Gonzales that redirected to Hickenlooper’s site, paid search ads for Hickenlooper, and a poll testing messages about the incumbent.
  • Hickenlooper enters with near-universal name recognition and more than $3.6 million on hand, while Gonzales highlights a record on immigration, abortion rights, and gun control; the Democratic primary is set for June 30, 2026.