Your Daily Guide

🗳️ The Races We're Still Watching

Phil Weiser’s margin of victory over Republican Victor Marx is shaping up to be one of the largest in Colorado’s gubernatorial history, and other Democrats also celebrated decisive wins in the blue tsunami this week. But many races are still too close to call. As of Wednesday afternoon, here's where things stand in these closely contested races. [Colorado Sun, Denver Elections]

• 3rd Congressional District: This district in western and southern Colorado has been represented by Republicans since 2011, but that may change if Democrat Dwayne Romero wins 49.4% of the remaining 74,000 votes, according to NBC. Incumbent Jeff Hurd, however, has a narrow lead (48.7% to 48.2%). [NBC News]
• 4th Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is trailing Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher, with a few thousand votes separating the candidates. Boebert is leading in most rural counties, while Laubacher is carrying the more urban parts of the district. [Denver Post 🔒]
• 5th Congressional District: Democrat Jessica Killin is holding 51.6% of the vote, with incumbent Republican Jeff Crank at 45.3%. This district encompasses Colorado Springs and El Paso County and, so far, has never elected a Democrat to Congress. [Colorado Sun]
• Amendment 87: Supporters of this amendment, which seeks to replace the state's flat 4.4% income tax with a new graduated income tax, have a narrow lead (50.4% to 49.6%). Chris deGruy Kennedy, president and CEO of the Bell Policy Center, says he's confident the amendment will pass: "I think the message is that voters have made the choice to make a huge change in the direction of our state." [Colorado Public Radio]
• Propositions 134 and 135: These proposals restricting sports participation and surgery for transgender youth are, so far, narrowly passing. If Proposition 135 passes, Colorado would be the 28th state to issue restrictions on medical care for this population. As for Proposition 134, if it passes, LGBTQ+ advocates plan to seek out legal avenues to help transgender students play on the sports teams aligned with their gender identities. [Colorado Sun; Chalkbeat Colorado]

🤝 How Will Denver’s Newest Council Member Tackle Spiking Evictions?

Earlier this week, Denver City Council and Mayor Mike Johnston finally agreed on a budget amendment to add $4 million to the Temporary Rental and Utilities Assistance Program, bringing TRUA total funds for 2027 up to $8.5 million. Newly elected City Council Member At-Large Melissa Mejía brings years of experience working on eviction defense to her new role, so we are taking a deeper look at how her vote might shift the balance on City Council. In 2023, City Cast Denver host Bree Davies talked with Mejía (then-policy director for the Community Economic Defense Project) about her take on this issue. [City Cast Denver 🎧; Denver Post 🔒]

🚗 Fewer Coloradans Buying New Cars

New car sales in the state have dropped nearly 15% in the first nine months of this year, compared with the same period in 2025. The decline is also more than triple the national sales slowdown. This is according to a report from the Colorado Auto Dealers Association, which attributes this slump to the federal electric vehicle subsidy cuts. The demand for hybrid vehicles has gone up, however, amid soaring gas prices. [Colorado Sun]

⛷️ Good News for Skiers

Breckenridge Ski Resort plans to open tomorrow, on the heels of Arapahoe Basin and Keystone last week. Other resorts are gearing up for the season, including Snowmass Ski Resort, which is debuting The Ullrhof, a new on-mountain food hall with four different vendors. The snow levels continue to look promising as well, with early snowpack in the San Juan Mountains at its highest since 2005. [9News, Denver Post 🔒]

💰 Wash Park Workers Receive Backpay After Wage Theft Investigation

Wash Park Grille and Agave Taco Bar closed in early 2025 without paying employees their final paychecks. Denver Labor, a division of the Denver Auditor’s Office, conducted an investigation and yesterday announced a settlement to get the 56 workers full backpay and 70% more in damages, to a total of $117,244. [Denver.Gov]

• Watch out wage thieves: Denver voters passed Referred Question 2H earlier this week solidifying the Auditor's Office's power to enforce wage theft laws. [Denverite]