Colorado 3rd District Primary Outcomes
Romero Leads Colorado 3rd District Democratic Primary; Hurd Dominates GOP Race
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Key Points
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Romero is a 61-year-old Snowmass Village resident and Army veteran who earned a Bronze Star, completed Army Ranger School, and later led the Romero Group; he has served on the Aspen City Council, transit authority, fire district and school board, reflecting decades of local public service.
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Romero surged to victory in the Democratic primary after entering the race only hours before the filing deadline, carrying Pitkin County and nearby Eagle and Garfield counties to an AP call of 55.2% to Kelloff’s 44.8%.
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Kelloff argued for repealing or amending the One Big Beautiful Bill because Medicaid cuts have harmed rural health care, and he also stressed affordability and protecting Western Colorado’s public lands and water while expanding healthcare access.
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On the GOP side, incumbent Jeff Hurd led Ron Hanks by a wide margin in the Republican primary, with preliminary results signaling a substantial lead (around 36 percentage points, and later updates placing it near a 70-30 split in favor of Hurd).
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The district’s history underscores a Republican-leaning seat that has not elected a Democrat since 2011, with 2022 near-flips and 2024 changes keeping Democrats hopeful that the national climate could help in November under President Trump.
Democrat Dwayne Romero won the Democratic primary for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District on June 30, capturing 55.2% of the vote to defeat first-time candidate Alex Kelloff, according to Colorado Politics. The AP called the race that evening as Romero's margins in the Roaring Fork Valley proved insurmountable.
Romero, a 61-year-old Army veteran and Snowmass Village resident, now advances to face Republican incumbent Jeff Hurd in November. On the GOP side, Hurd crushed challenger Ron Hanks by nearly 40 percentage points, per Kansas City Star, cementing his position as the heavy favorite in a district that has not sent a Democrat to Congress since 2011.
Romero Enters Race Hours Before Deadline, Wins Anyway
Romero filed for the race just hours before the March 11 filing deadline — a move analysts called an "emergency intervention" by moderate Democrats. Despite starting late, he dominated in Pitkin County with 72% of the vote, carried Eagle County with 64%, and took Garfield County with 58%, according to Colorado Politics.
His background helped him stand out fast. Romero graduated from West Point, completed Army Ranger School, and earned a Bronze Star. He also served on the Aspen City Council, the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, and local fire and school boards. "Our district is tired of the noise," Romero said in a campaign statement. "We need pragmatic solutions for the cost of living and a fierce defense of our water rights."
Kelloff's Healthcare Message Fell Short in the Final Count
Alex Kelloff, a telecommunications professional running for office for the first time, built his campaign around one issue: the "One Big Beautiful Bill." He argued the federal legislation slashed Medicaid funding and hurt rural clinics across Western Colorado. He also pushed for expanded healthcare access and protection of public lands and water, per Kansas City Star.
Kelloff finished with 44.8%, or roughly 26,400 votes. Political analyst Eric Sondermann noted that Kelloff's focus, while "noble," may have been "too narrow for a general election audience," according to Colorado Politics. Romero's broader platform — cost of living, water rights, and local pragmatism — proved more appealing to primary voters across the sprawling district.
Hurd Dominates GOP Primary, Hanks Fails to Gain Traction
On the Republican side, incumbent Jeff Hurd won roughly 69% of the vote to Ron Hanks' 31%. Hurd, a Grand Junction attorney, dominated in Mesa and Pueblo counties. He secured major endorsements from state Republican leadership months earlier and kept clear of Hanks' "election integrity" platform, according to Colorado Politics.
Hanks, a former state representative, tried to pull Hurd rightward but found little support beyond a narrow base. Hurd's decisive win shows voters in CO-3 prefer steady conservative governance over an insurgent approach. "The voters of the 3rd District have spoken clearly: they want results, not rhetoric," Hurd said in his victory speech.
November Race Hinges on Water, Healthcare, and a GOP-Leaning Map
CO-3 covers the entire Western Slope and parts of Southern Colorado. It has leaned Republican for years and nearly flipped in 2022, when Adam Frisch lost to Lauren Boebert by just 546 votes, per Kansas City Star. That race proved the district can be competitive with the right candidate.
Romero plans to make Western Colorado water rights a core general election theme, hoping to appeal to agricultural voters in Mesa and Delta counties who typically back Republicans. But Hurd holds a structural advantage in a district that tilts toward Trump. Romero's veteran credentials and local service record give Democrats their best shot in years — though the path to victory remains narrow, according to Colorado Politics.
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