Colorado State Senate elections, 2012
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Colorado's 2012 elections U.S. House • State Senate • State House • State ballot measures • Candidate ballot access |
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Elections for the Colorado State Senate were held in Colorado on November 6, 2012. A total of 20 seats were up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was April 2, 2012. The primary Election Day was June 26, 2012.
Incumbents retiring
- See also: Colorado Game Changers
| Name | Party | Current office |
|---|---|---|
| Betty Boyd |  Democratic |
Senate, District 21 |
| Bob Bacon | Democratic |
Senate, District 14 |
| Brandon Shaffer | Democratic |
Senate, District 17 |
| Joyce Foster | Democratic |
Senate, District 35 |
| Keith King |  Republican |
Senate, District 12 |
| Nancy Spence | Republican |
Senate, District 27 |
| Shawn Mitchell | Republican |
Senate, District 7 |
| Suzanne Williams | Democratic |
Senate, District 30 |
| Tim Neville | Republican |
Senate, District 22 |
Majority control
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Heading into the November 6 election, the Democratic Party held the majority in the Colorado State Senate:
| Colorado State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 19 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | 16 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
Campaign contributions
This chart shows how many candidates ran for state senate in Colorado in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state senate races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[1]
| Year | Number of candidates | Total contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 48 | $2,331,554 |
| 2008 | 41 | $2,535,787 |
| 2006 | 44 | $2,935,888 |
| 2004 | 38 | $2,050,430 |
| 2002 | 40 | $4,313,640 |
In the 2010 elections, the candidates running for senate raised $2,331,554 in campaign funds. The top 10 overall contributors were:[2]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Odom, John | $96,134 |
| Colorado Education Association | $31,625 |
| Colorado Professional Fire Fighters | $29,000 |
| Shuler, Derec | $28,684 |
| Copic Insurance Small Donor Committee | $28,400 |
| Eckstein, Torsten | $25,491 |
| Colorado State Conference of Electrical Workers Small Donor Committee (CSCEW) | $22,000 |
| State Democratic Senate Campaign Fund | $21,488 |
| Colorado Association of Realtors Small Donor Committee | $20,000 |
| Colorado American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations Nonpartisan Small Donor | $19,750 |
Qualifications
Article 5, Section 4 of the Colorado Constitution states: No person shall be a representative or senator who shall not have attained the age of twentyfive years, who shall not be a citizen of the United States, who shall not for at least twelve months next preceding his election, have resided within the territory included in the limits of the county or district in which he shall be chosen; provided, that any person who at the time of the adoption of this constitution, was a qualified elector under the territorial laws, shall be eligible to the first general assembly.
Term limits
The Colorado State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Colorado voters approved Issue 5 in 1990. The affirmative vote by Colorado's electorate in Issue 5 altered Section 3 of Article V on the Colorado Constitution to say that Colorado State Senators could serve no more than two 4-year terms in office.
There are 35 Colorado State Senators. In 2012, 6 who were current members, or 17.1% of the total senate seats, were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. Of them, 4 were Democratic state senators and 2 wereRepublican state senators.
In addition to the 6 state senators who left office because of term limits, 9 state representatives were also termed-out.
The 6 current members of the state senate who were ineligible to run in November were:
Democrats (4):
Republicans (2):
Impact of redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Colorado
The Colorado Reapportionment Commission is responsible for reapportioning state legislative districts. It is made up of 11 members chosen by the three branches of government as follows: 4 by the Colorado General Assembly, 3 by the Governor, and 4 by the Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice. Colorado's population grew by 17% between 2000 and 2010.[3]
The commission voted on September 19, 2011, to pass maps proposed by Commission Chairman Mario Carrera, but the Colorado Supreme Court rejected the new maps by a vote of 4-2, stating they were not "sufficiently attentive to county boundaries."[4]
The commission voted to pass Democratic-drawn proposals which were approved by the court in December of 2011. Republicans criticized the new proposals for placing several GOP incumbents into the same districts, while Democrats said it was an unfortunate outcome of trying to minimize county splits. The Denver Post reported that 38 of 100 legislative districts would be considered competitive as a result of the newly drawn districts.[5][6]
In Colorado, there are 10 state senate districts where the partisan registration of Democratic and Republican voters is less than 10 percentage points apart. These districts would be considered "competitive" when looked at strictly with respect to voter party affiliation. The 10 districts in Colorado are districts 11, 14, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 29, and 35.
Primary lawsuit
Former state House candidate Lu Ann Busse filed a lawsuit asking a judge to void the result of her primary election because ballots were traceable and voting machines weren't properly secured. These issues could cause problems for the November general election if changes are not made.[7]
The lawsuit accused Secretary of State Scott Gessler and election clerks of "major violations of duty" and conducting elections that didn't comply with state statutes or the Colorado Constitution.[7]
Ballots in Douglas County included unique barcodes and numbers which could be used to track the ballot to the person who cast the vote, according to the lawsuit. This is a violation of the Colorado Constitution, which states that ballots shall not be marked in a way that allows them to be traced to the voter. A 1964 Colorado Supreme Court ruling also states that the use of marked ballots, or ballots numbered in a way that they can be tracked, should result in a void election.[7]
Security lapses also occurred in Teller County, where Gessler's office stated that the county "is not prepared to properly administer elections." The following were among given concerns: electronic voting machines that weren't functioning properly, election judges who weren't trained on how to use the machines, and machines that were missing the tamper-proof seals required under Colorado election rules.[7]
List of candidates
District 4
June 26 Democratic primary:
- Holly Gorman: 3,107
- Holly Gorman: 3,107
June 26 GOP primary:
- Mark Scheffel: 10,271 - Incumbent Scheffel first assumed office in 2009.
- Mark Scheffel: 10,271
June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Holly Gorman: 24,905
- Mark Scheffel: 50,040
- Chris Grundemann: 3,430
District 8
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Emily Tracy: 3,181
- Emily Tracy: 3,181
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Jean White: 4,887 - Incumbent White first assumed office in 2011.
- Randy Baumgardner: 6,809
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Emily Tracy: 29,688
- Randy Baumgardner: 34,187
- Sacha L. Weis: 3,079
District 10
Note: Incumbent Bill Cadman (R) won re-election in District 12.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Owen Hill: 9,528
- Larry Liston: 6,118
- Owen Hill: 9,528
June 26 American Constitution Party primary:
- Christopher Mull: 26
- Christopher Mull: 26
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Owen Hill: 44,200
- Christopher Mull: 5,721
- Brandon Hughes: 10,255
District 12
Note: Incumbent Keith King (R) did not run for re-election.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Bill Cadman: 10,472 - Incumbent Cadman first assumed office in 2007.
- Bill Cadman: 10,472
- June 26 American Constitution Party primary:
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Bill Cadman: 34,673
- James Michael Bristol: 7,762
- Dave Respecki: 8,603
District 14
Note: Incumbent Bob Bacon (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- John Kefalas: 5,403
- John Kefalas: 5,403
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Syndi Anderson: 5,339
- Syndi Anderson: 5,339
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
June 26 Unaffiliated Candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- John Kefalas: 46,673
- Syndi Anderson: 28,874
- Jeff Johnston: 3,166
- Barrett Rothe: 1,828
District 17
Note: Incumbent Brandon Shaffer (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Matt Jones: 8,711
- Matt Jones: 8,711
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Charlie Plagainos: 6,230
- Charlie Plagainos: 6,230
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Matt Jones: 45,426
- Charlie Plagainos: 23,983
- Ken Bray: 3,848
District 18
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Rollie Heath: 12,315 - Incumbent Heath first assumed office in 2009.
- Rollie Heath: 12,315
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Barry Thoma: 3,969
- Barry Thoma: 3,969
November 6 General election candidates:
- Rollie Heath: 66,619
- Barry Thoma: 18,427
District 19
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Evie Hudak: 5,684 - Incumbent Hudak first assumed office in 2009.
- Evie Hudak: 5,684
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Lang Sias: 6,871
- Lang Sias: 6,871
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Evie Hudak: 35,664
- Lang Sias: 35,080
- Lloyd A. Sweeny: 5,104
District 21
Note: Incumbent Betty Boyd (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Jessie Ulibarri: 4,893
- Jessie Ulibarri: 4,893
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Francine Bigelow: 1,755
- Matthew Plichta: 1,387
- Francine Bigelow: 1,755
November 6 General election candidates:
- Jessie Ulibarri: 30,308
- Francine Bigelow: 16,373
District 22
Note: Incumbent Tim Neville (R) did not seek re-election in 2012.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Andrew Kerr: 5,484
- Andrew Kerr: 5,484
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Ken Summers: 7,205
- Ken Summers: 7,205
November 6 General election candidates:
- Andrew Kerr: 38,845
- Ken Summers: 35,008
District 23
Note: Incumbent Shawn Mitchell (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Lee Kemp: 4,026
- Lee Kemp: 4,026
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Vicki Marble: 5,500
- Glenn Vaad: 3,981
- Vicki Marble: 5,500
November 6 General election candidates:
- Lee Kemp: 34,252
- Vicki Marble: 43,949
District 25
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Mary Hodge: 3,976 - Incumbent Hodge first assumed office in 2009.
- Mary Hodge: 3,976
- June 26 GOP primary:
- John Sampson: 3,614
- John Sampson: 3,614
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Mary Hodge: 27,961
- John Sampson: 20,310
- Ronald G. Schweizer: 2,461
District 26
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Linda Newell: 5,889 - Incumbent Newell first assumed office in 2009.
- Linda Newell: 5,889
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Dave Kerber: 7,935
- Dave Kerber: 7,935
November 6 General election candidates:
- Linda Newell: 38,744
- Dave Kerber: 32,890
District 27
Note: Incumbent Nancy Spence (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- David Paladino: 4,677
- David Paladino: 4,677
- June 26 GOP primary:
- David Balmer: 9,732
- David Balmer: 9,732
November 6 General election candidates:
- David Paladino: 34,957
- David Balmer: 42,411
District 28
Note: Incumbent Suzanne Williams (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Nancy Todd: 4,973
- Nancy Todd: 4,973
- June 26 GOP primary:
- John Lyons: 3,288
- Art Carlson: 1,948
- John Lyons: 3,288
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Nancy Todd: 37,181
- John Lyons: 24,475
- Robert Harrison: 2,459
District 29
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Morgan Carroll: 3,519 - Incumbent Carroll first assumed office in 2009.
- Morgan Carroll: 3,519
- June 26 GOP primary:
- William Ross, II: 4,286
- William Ross, II: 4,286
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Morgan Carroll: 30,149
- William Ross, II: 18,745
- Michele Rae Poague: 2,420
District 31
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Pat Steadman: 8,010 - Incumbent Steadman first assumed office in 2009.
- Pat Steadman: 8,010
- June 26 GOP primary:
Note: Brandon Kelley withdrew from the race and was replaced by Michael Carr on the general election ballot.[8]
November 6 General election candidates:
- Pat Steadman: 54,390
- Michael Carr: 23,425
District 32
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Irene Aguilar: 6,560 - Incumbent Aguilar first assumed office in 2011.
- Irene Aguilar: 6,560
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Roger Logan: 3,014
- Roger Logan: 3,014
November 6 General election candidates:
- Irene Aguilar: 47,995
- Roger Logan: 20,505
District 33
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Michael Johnston: 5,965 - Incumbent Johnston first assumed office in 2009.
- Michael Johnston: 5,965
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Jason DeBerry: 981
- Jason DeBerry: 981
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Michael Johnston: 51,357
- Jason DeBerry: 8,456
- Courtney Kolva: 2,579
District 35
Note: Incumbent Joyce Foster (D) did not run for re-election.
- June 26 Democratic primary:
- Crestina Martinez: 7,181
- Armando Valdez: 4,313
- Crestina Martinez: 7,181
- June 26 GOP primary:
- Larry Crowder: 9,004
- Larry Crowder: 9,004
Note: Alexander Lucero-Mugatu filed but withdrew before the primary.
- June 26 Libertarian Party candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Crestina Martinez: 29,617
- Larry Crowder: 31,117
- William Bartley: 2,461
See also
External links
- Colorado Secretary of State - Official primary results
- Colorado Secretary of State - 2012 General Election Candidates
- Colorado Secretary of State - Official general election results
Footnotes
- ↑ Follow the Money, Colorado
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Colorado Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ The Trinidad Times Independent, "State to gather public input for redistricting," January 4, 2011
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Colorado Redistricting: Supreme Court Rejects New House, Senate District Maps," November 16, 2011
- ↑ WSLS, "Colo. Supreme Court Oks New Legislative Districts," December 12, 2011
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Colo. Supreme Court OKs new legislative districts," accessed April 2, 2024
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Denverpost.com, "Lawsuit seeks to void Colorado primary, raising concerns for November," August 27, 2012
- ↑ Out Front Colorado, "Gay man expected to be appointed — by GOP — to Colorado Senate race," July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012 (dead link)
