2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado
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The 2010 congressional elections in Colorado were held on November 2, 2010, to determine who will represent the state of Colorado in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 112th Congress.
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November 2, 2010
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All 7 Colorado seats to the United States House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Registered | 2,477,958[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 73.49% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Colorado has seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Its 2008-2009 congressional delegation consisted of five Democrats and two Republicans.
Overview
Statewide
| Party | Candidates | Votes[2] | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | +/– | % | |||
| Republican | 7 | 884,032 | 50.14 | 4 |  2 |
57.14 | |
| Democratic | 7 | 800,900 | 45.42 | 3 |  2 |
42.86 | |
| Libertarian | 6 | 38,864 | 2.20 | 0 |  |
0.0 | |
| Constitution | 4 | 27,419 | 1.56 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Others | 2 | 8,968 | 0.51 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Green | 1 | 2,923 | 0.17 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Write-in | 3 | 46 | 0.00 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Total | 30 | 1,763,152 | 100.0 | 7 | |
100.0 | |
By district
Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado by district:[3]
| District | Republican | Democratic | Others | Total | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 1 | 59,747 | 28.97% | 140,073 | 65.81% | 7,931 | 5.22% | 207,751 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 2 | 98,171 | 37.90% | 148,720 | 57.41% | 12,143 | 4.69% | 259,034 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 3 | 129,257 | 50.10% | 118,048 | 45.76% | 10,694 | 4.14% | 257,999 | 100.0% | Republican gain |
| District 4 | 138,634 | 52.48% | 109,249 | 41.35% | 16,298 | 6.17% | 264,181 | 100.0% | Republican gain |
| District 5 | 152,829 | 65.75% | 68,039 | 29.27% | 11,566 | 4.98% | 232,434 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 6 | 217,368 | 65.68% | 104,104 | 31.46% | 9,471 | 2.86% | 330,943 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 7 | 88,026 | 41.76% | 112,667 | 53.44% | 10,117 | 4.80% | 210,810 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| Total | 884,032 | 50.14% | 800,900 | 45.42% | 78,220 | 4.44% | 1,763,152 | 100.0% | |
District 1
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 County Results DeGette: 50–60% 60–70% Fallon: 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Diana DeGette, who had represented this liberal Denver based district since 1997, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 71.9% of the vote in 2008 and the district had a PVI of D+21.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Diana DeGette, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Diana DeGette (incumbent) | 57,527 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 57,527 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Mike Fallon, emergency room physician
Withdrawn
- Steven Barton
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Fallon | 13,970 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 13,970 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Clint Jones, human resources manager[5]
Eliminated in primary
- Jeffrey Schitter, business owner
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian | Clint Jones | 216 | 59.5 | |
| Libertarian | Jeffrey Schitter | 147 | 40.5 | |
| Total votes | 363 | 100.0 | ||
Green primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Gary Swing, perennial candidate
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Chris Styskal, former corporate manager
General election
Campaign
Fallon's campaign was characterized by informal "town hall meetings," often held at local pubs, and by "door-to-door" interaction with voters.[6] On September 20,, Fallon made national news when the NRCC upgraded him to "On the Radar" status - the first of three levels in their Young Guns Program.[7] This prompted DeGette to sent an email to supporters, informing them of Fallon's "On the Radar" status, and requesting donations, stating that, "We can't take anything for granted this year." The fundraising request received significant local media attention.[8]
The Denver Post strongly endorsed DeGette for re-election, praising her for having "served [her] district well" and for being "a steady voice who has served the interests of her district and the nation."
Endorsements
Newspapers
Organizations
- Eagle Forum[10]
- National Republican Congressional Committee "On the Radar" Program[11]
- Tea Party Express[12]
Polling
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[14] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[15] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| RCP[17] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[18] | Safe D | October 28, 2010 |
| New York Times[19] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| FiveThirtyEight[19] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
Results
Congresswoman DeGette was heavily favored to win re-election, and on election day, she overwhelmingly won an eighth term in Congress.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Diana DeGette (incumbent) | 140,073 | 67.4 | |
| Republican | Mike Fallon | 59,747 | 28.8 | |
| Green | Gary Swing | 2,923 | 1.4 | |
| Libertarian | Clint Jones | 2,867 | 1.4 | |
| American Constitution | Chris Styskal | 2,141 | 1.0 | |
| Majority | 80,326 | 38.7 | ||
| Turnout | 214,472 | 71.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 301,491 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGette (D) | $825,016 | $822,289 | $108,829 | |
| Mike Fallon (R) | $196,993 | $196,993 | $0 | |
| Clint Jones (L) | Unreported | |||
| Gary Swing (G) | Unreported | |||
| Chris Styskal (C) | Unreported | |||
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGette (D) | $20,509 | $0 |
| Mike Fallon (R) | $0 | $0 |
| Clint Jones (L) | $0 | $0 |
| Gary Swing (G) | $0 | $0 |
| Chris Styskal (C) | $0 | $0 |
District 2
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 County Results Polis: 50–60% 70–80% Bailey: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Jared Polis, who had represented the district, centred around heavily Democratic Boulder and the northwestern suburbs of Denver, since 2009, ran for re-election. He was elected with 62.6% of the vote in 2008 and the district had a PVI of D+11.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jared Polis, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jared Polis (incumbent) | 47,347 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 47,347 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Stephen Bailey, software marketing director
Eliminated in primary
- Bob Brancato, private investigator
Campaign
Brancato briefly suspended his campaign in July following a local newspaper reporting on 2009 domestic incident that the police attended. Brancato's wife vehemently denied there had been domestic abuse and stated that she called police because her husband was suffering from an episode of post-traumatic stress disorder.[20]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Stephen Bailey | 23,439 | 69.4 | |
| Republican | Bob Brancato | 10,353 | 30.6 | |
| Total votes | 33,792 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Curtis Harris, retired businessman and investor
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jenna Goss, event promotions contractor
Unity primary
Candidates
Withdrawn
- Bill Hammons, founder and National Chairman of the Unity Party of America
General election
Endorsements
Newspapers
Organizations
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Jared Polis (D) |
Stephen Bailey (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies (R)[22] | September 20, 2010 | 688 (LV) | ±3.7% | 48% | 36% | 8% | 8% |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[14] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[15] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| RCP[17] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[18] | Safe D | October 28, 2010 |
| New York Times[19] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| FiveThirtyEight[19] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
Results
As expected, Polis won by a wide margin, albeit a smaller one than this district is used to giving its Democratic representatives.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jared Polis (incumbent) | 148,720 | 57.4 | |
| Republican | Stephen Bailey | 98,171 | 37.9 | |
| American Constitution | Jenna Goss | 7,080 | 2.7 | |
| Libertarian | Curtis Harris | 5,056 | 2.0 | |
| Write-in | 7 | 0.0 | ||
| Majority | 50,549 | 19.5 | ||
| Turnout | 267,021 | 72.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 368,143 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Polis (D) | $1,248,539 | $895,953 | $382,126 | |
| Stephen Bailey (R) | $130,886 | $130,747 | $139 | |
| Curtis Harris (L) | $8,474 | $8,476 | $0 | |
| Jenna Goss (C) | Unreported | |||
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Jared Polis (D) | $96,882 | $0 |
| Stephen Bailey (R) | $0 | $0 |
| Curtis Harris (L) | $0 | $0 |
| Jenna Goss (C) | $0 | $0 |
District 3
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 County results Tipton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Salazar: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat John Salazar, who had represented the conservative, west Colorado district since 2005, ran for re-election. He was re–elected with % of the vote in 2008 and the district had a PVI of R+5.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John Salazar, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Salazar (incumbent) | 46,148 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 46,148 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Scott Tipton, state representative and nominee for this seat in 2006[23]
Eliminated in primary
- Bob McConnell, retired lawyer and Army officer[24]
Withdrawn
Endorsements
Statewide officials
- Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and nominee for Vice President of the United States in 2008[27]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Tipton | 39,346 | 55.8 | |
| Republican | Bob McConnell | 31,214 | 44.2 | |
| Total votes | 70,560 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Gregory Gilman, electrical engineer
Other Candidates
- Jake Segrest, small business owner (Independent)
General election
Campaign
A contentious race ensued. Tipton attacked Salazar for voting for the 2009 Stimulus while Salazar retaliated that Tipton wanted to "[cut] Social Security and Medicare spending in half."[28][29]
While the Denver Post praised Scott Tipton as a state lawmaker who "is knowledgeable about the issues, and touts his private sector experience," the Post endorsed Salazar for re-election, citing his "ability to work with people from differing political views to seek solutions that work for the district."[30]
Endorsements
Organizations
- Eagle Forum[10]
- National Republican Congressional Committee "Young Guns" Program[31]
- Tea Party Express[12]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
John Salazar (D) |
Scott Tipton (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Schoen Berland (The Hill/ANGA)[32] | October 19–21, 2010 | 400 (LV) | ±4.9 | 43% | 47% | 2% | 8% |
| Ayres, McHenry & Associates (R–American Action Forum)[33] | August 23–28, 2010 | 400 (LV) | ±4.9 | 43% | 51% | – | 7% |
| Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies (R)[34] | August 17–19, 2010 | ? | ±3.1 | 43% | 49% | – | 8% |
| Tarrance Group (R)[35] | December 8–9, 2009 | ? | ±5.7 | 46% | 44% | – | 10% |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[14] | Tossup | November 1, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[15] | Tilt R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| RCP[17] | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[18] | Tossup | October 28, 2010 |
| New York Times[19] | Tossup | November 1, 2010 |
| FiveThirtyEight[19] | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Tipton | 129,257 | 50.1 | |||
| Democratic | John Salazar (incumbent) | 118,048 | 45.8 | |||
| Libertarian | Gregory Gilman | 5,678 | 2.2 | |||
| Independent | Jake Segrest | 4,982 | 1.9 | |||
| Write-in | 34 | 0.0 | ||||
| Majority | 11,209 | 4.3 | ||||
| Turnout | 267,822 | 72.5 | ||||
| Registered electors | 355,428 | |||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Salazar (D) | $2,067,198 | $2,474,562 | $57,389 | |
| Scott Tipton (R) | $1,232,113 | $1,207,832 | $24,117 | |
| Gregory Gilman (L) | Unreported | |||
| Jake Segrest (I) | $18,767 | $18,465 | $300 | |
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| John Salazar (D) | $213,381 | $1,452,647 |
| Scott Tipton (R) | $106,637 | $2,067,485 |
| Gregory Gilman (L) | $0 | $0 |
| Jake Segrest (I) | $0 | $0 |
District 4
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 County results Gardner: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Markey: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Betsy Markey, who had represented this conservative east Colorado-based district since 2009, ran for re-election. She was elected with % of the vote in 2008 and the district had a PVI of R+6.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Betsy Markey, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Betsy Markey (incumbent) | 33,982 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 33,982 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Withdrawn
- Diggs Brown, financial adviser, military veteran and Fort Collins City Council member[38]
- Tom Lucero, businessman and former member of University of Colorado Board of Regents[38]
- Dean Madere, conservative activist[39]
Declined
- Greg Brophy, state senator[38]
- Ken Buck, Weld County District Attorney[38]
- Mark Hillman, former acting State Treasurer and Majority Leader of the state senate[40]
- Bill Jerke, former Weld County Commissioner[38]
- Marilyn Musgrave, former U.S. Representative[38]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Cory Gardner | 57,358 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 57,358 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Withdrawn
- Jassen Bowman
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Doug Aden, small business owner
Unity primary
Candidates
Withdrawn
- Mike Nelson, oilfield worker
General election
Campaign
Markey, seen as a vulnerable member of Congress[41] faced a tough challenge from Gardner. Challenger Gardner attacked Markey for supporting the 2009 Stimulus, asking rhetorically, "You want a shovel ready project we don't need? It's digging more debt," to which Markey responded, "I don't need to be lectured by someone who actually wants to tax the wind," a reference to a bill supported by Gardner in the state legislature that some claimed would allow for taxation of wind energy.[42] Gardner further attacked Markey for a variety of votes that she supposedly cast in a television advertisement, but controversy ensued and a local Fox News affiliate yanked the ad off the air when it came to surface that the votes that Congresswoman Markey "cast" were actually cast by Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey.[43]
The Denver Post, citing Gardner's reputation as a "go-to guy in the legislature" and praising his motivation to bring "fiscal discipline to government," endorsed the Republican, expressing their discontent with Markey for "[straying] to the left" during her time in Congress.[44]
Endorsements
Organizations
- Blue Dog Coalition
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Frontline" Program
Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Betsy Markey (D) |
Cory Gardner (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ccAdvertising (R) | October 1, 2010 | 2,743 (LV) | ±?% | 35% | 47% | 18% |
| Penn Schoen Berland (The Hill/ANGA)[45] | September 25–27, 2010 | 391 (LV) | ±5.0 | 41% | 44% | 14% |
| Bennett, Petts & Normington[46] | September 6–7, 2010 | 400 (LV) | ±? | 38% | 38% | 24% |
| Ayres, McHenry & Associates (R–American Action Forum)[47] | August 23–28, 2010 | 400 (LV) | ±4.9 | 39% | 50% | 11% |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[14] | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[15] | Likely R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| RCP[17] | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[18] | Likely R (flip) | October 28, 2010 |
| New York Times[19] | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| FiveThirtyEight[19] | Likely R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
Results
Though polls indicated that Gardner held a narrow lead at best, Markey ultimately was defeated in her bid for a second term by a fairly comfortable eleven point margin of victory.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Cory Gardner | 138,634 | 52.5 | |||
| Democratic | Betsy Markey (incumbent) | 109,249 | 41.4 | |||
| American Constitution | Doug Aden | 12,312 | 4.7 | |||
| Independent | Ken Waskiewicz | 3,986 | 1.5 | |||
| Majority | 29,385 | 11.1 | ||||
| Turnout | 271,316 | 75.5 | ||||
| Registered electors | 359,391 | |||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betsy Markey (D) | $3,505,293 | $3,516,268 | $10,617 | |
| Cory Gardner (R) | $2,426,591 | $2,407,602 | $18,989 | |
| Doug Aden (C) | Unreported | |||
| Ken Waskiewicz (I) | Unreported | |||
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Betsy Markey (D) | $297,186 | $876,129 |
| Cory Gardner (R) | $251,250 | $742,904 |
| Doug Aden (C) | $0 | $341,842 |
| Ken Waskiewicz (I) | $0 | $0 |
District 5
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 County Results Lamborn: 50–60% 60–70% Bradley: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Doug Lamborn, who had represented this conservative district based in Colorado Springs and its suburbs district since 2005, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 60.0% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+14.[4]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Doug Lamborn, incumbent U.S. Representative
Declined
- Jeff Crank, Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce vice president and candidate for this seat in 2006 & 2006
- Bentley Rayburn, United States Air Force Major General and candidate for this seat in 2006 & 2008
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 60,906 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 60,906 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Kevin Bradley, businessman[48]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kevin Bradley | 20,814 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 20,814 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jerell Klaver, businessman
General election
Endorsements
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[14] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[15] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| RCP[17] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[18] | Safe R | October 28, 2010 |
| New York Times[19] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| FiveThirtyEight[19] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 152,829 | 65.8 | |
| Democratic | Kevin Bradley | 68,039 | 29.3 | |
| American Constitution | Brian Scott | 5,886 | 2.5 | |
| Libertarian | Jerell Klaver | 5,680 | 2.4 | |
| Majority | 84,790 | 36.5 | ||
| Turnout | 238,902 | 69.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 343,288 | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Lamborn (R) | $338,476 | $182,883 | $154,563 | |
| Kevin Bradley (D) | Unreported | |||
| Jerell Klaver (L) | Unreported | |||
| Brian Scott (C) | Unreported | |||
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Doug Lamborn (R) | $0 | $0 |
| Kevin Bradley (D) | $5,068 | $0 |
| Jerell Klaver (L) | $0 | $0 |
| Brian Scott (C) | $0 | $0 |
District 6
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 County results Coffman: 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Mike Coffman, who had represented this solidly conservative district based in the southern Denver suburbs and some parts of Aurora, since 2009, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 60.7% of the vote in 2008 and the district had a PVI of R+8.[4]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Mike Coffman, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Coffman (incumbent) | 81,067 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 81,067 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John Flerlage, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and airline pilot[49]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Flerlage | 37,950 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 37,950 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Rob McNealy, small business owner and community activist
General election
Endorsements
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[14] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[15] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| RCP[17] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[18] | Safe R | October 28, 2010 |
| New York Times[19] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| FiveThirtyEight[19] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Coffman (incumbent) | 217,368 | 65.7 | |
| Democratic | John Flerlage | 104,104 | 31.5 | |
| Libertarian | Rob McNealy | 9,466 | 2.9 | |
| Write-in | 5 | 0.0 | ||
| Majority | 113,264 | 34.2 | ||
| Turnout | 345,534 | 75.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 455,805 | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Coffman (R) | $904,466 | $576,556 | $411,537 |
| John Flerlage (D) | $152,157 | $151,280 | $876 |
| Rob McNealy (L) | $24,052 | $24,138 | $0 |
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Coffman (R) | $0 | $0 |
| John Flerlage (D) | $6,952 | $0 |
| Rob McNealy (L) | $0 | $0 |
District 7
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 County results Perlmutter: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democratic Ed Perlmutter, who had represented this suburban Denver district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was elected with % of the vote in 2008 and the district had a PVI of D+4.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Ed Perlmutter, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Perlmutter (incumbent) | 40,534 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 40,534 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
Endorsements
U.S. Senators
- John McCain, U.S. Senator from Arizona (1987–present) and nominee for President in 2008[52]
Organizations
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Frazier | 26,765 | 64.3 | |
| Republican | Lang Sias | 14,835 | 35.7 | |
| Total votes | 41,600 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Buck Bailey, small business owner
General election
Campaign
Both candidates levied heavy attacks against each other as election day drew nearer. Frazier attacked Perlmutter for supporting the 2009 Stimulus, decrying it as a waste of taxpayer money; Perlmutter provided evidence that a charter school that Frazier represented, as well as the city of Aurora, received stimulus money.[53] In a bizarre moment during the campaign, the two candidates were discussing health care reform at a debate when Frazier pointed his hand at Perlmutter, who slapped it away, apologizing immediately thereafter.[54]
The Denver Post, calling for "new blood in Congress," endorsed Frazier over Perlmutter, declaring that despite Frazier's young age of 33, "his grasp on the key issues facing the country has grown considerably since he first surfaced on the political scene." The Post, meanwhile, criticized Congressman Perlmutter for being "a solid vote for the Democratic majority" and for supporting "the Obama Administration’s over-reaching agenda."[55]
Endorsements
Organizations
- National Republican Congressional Committee "Young Guns" Program
- Tea Party Express[12]
Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Ed Perlmutter (D) |
Ryan Frazier (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies (R)[56] | August 8, 2010 | 830 (LV) | ±3.4% | 39% | 40% | 10% | 11% |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[14] | Lean D | November 1, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[15] | Likely D | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Likely D | November 1, 2010 |
| RCP[17] | Safe D | November 1, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[18] | Likely D | October 28, 2010 |
| New York Times[19] | Lean D | November 1, 2010 |
| FiveThirtyEight[19] | Likely D | November 1, 2010 |
Results
Despite the nationwide swing against the Democrats, Perlmutter comfortably won re election to a third term by 11 points, with Frazier only improving 2.3% on John McCain vote share from 2008.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Perlmutter (incumbent) | 112,667 | 53.4 | |
| Republican | Ryan Frazier | 88,026 | 41.8 | |
| Libertarian | Buck Bailey | 10,117 | 4.8 | |
| Majority | 24,641 | 11.7 | ||
| Turnout | 215,961 | 73.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 294,412 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Perlmutter (D) | $2,443,962 | $2,943,593 | $45,222 | |
| Ryan Frazier (R) | $1,775,458 | $1,771,943 | $3,515 | |
| Buck Bailey (L) | Unreported | |||
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Ed Perlmutter (D) | $952,596 | $638,278 |
| Ryan Frazier (R) | $129,821 | $560,941 |
| Buck Bailey (L) | $0 | $0 |
Aftermath
In their post election round up, the website Colorado Pols described the Frazier campaign as "amateurish at best" and that he had proved to be "immature, vacuous and just plain silly in unscripted moments".[57]
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear