Democrats regain control in State of Colorado and U.S.

    Democrats took back control in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Colorado Senate as a result of the Nov. 6 mid-term elections.
    Phillips County had a voter turnout of 64.5 percent, counting 2,101 ballots from a voter registration of 3,257, according to Beth Zilla, county clerk and recorder.
    Six uncontested Phillips County races gave four-year terms to Doug Kamery, assessor; Zilla; Dennis Jelden, coroner; Terry Hofmeister, commissioner district 1; Sharon Michael, treasurer; and Thomas Elliott, sheriff. Jelden is an unaffiliated voter, while the rest are Republicans. Hofmeister, Michael and Elliott all won Republican primary elections in June to advance to the general elections as lone candidates on the ballot.
    It was no surprise that Phillips County favored Republican candidates across the board, but statewide that was not the case.
    Democrats retained the governorship when Jared Polis/Dianne Primavera earned 52.3 percent over Republicans Walker Stapleton/Lang Sias’ 44.1 percent of the vote. Additionally, Democrats narrowly won three other state offices up for election.
    Democrat Jena Griswold gained 51.6 percent of the vote for secretary of state over GOP candidate Wayne Williams’ 45.8 percent. Democrat Dave Young garnered 51.2 percent of the state treasurer vote to defeat Republican Brian Watson with 46 percent. Democrat Phil Weiser nabbed 50.4 percent to be elected attorney general over Republican George Brauchler’s 46.4 percent.
    Republican Debora Scheffel defeated Democratic Tim Krug 61.2-38.8 percent for State Board of Education from Congressional District 4.
    Phillips County voters helped re-elect Republican Jerry Sonnenberg in Senate District 1 and put Republican Rod Pelton in office in Representative District 65. However, statewide, Democrats took back control of the Senate and maintained control in the state House.
    In the seven U.S. congressional district seats from Colorado, Democrats were elected in four and Republicans in three. In the biggest upset, Republican incumbent Mike Coffman was unseated by Democratic challenger Jason Crow, 54.1-42.9 percent.
    Phillips County helped re-elect 4th Congressional District Republican incumbent Ken Buck, who gained 60.9 percent of the district’s vote to Democratic challenger Karen McCormick’s 39.1 percent. Republican Scott Tipton held onto his District 3 seat by a narrow 51.7-43.4 percent margin over Democrat Diane Mitsch Bush.
    
Statewide measures reported
    Colorado voters approved five amendments and one proposition on the Nov. 6 ballot, while turning down four other amendments and three propositions.
    Defeated ballot issues included Amendment 73, funding for public schools; Amendment 74, compensation for reduction in fair market value by government law or regulation; Amendment 75, campaign contributions; Amendment V, lower age requirement for members of the state legislature; Proposition 109, authorizing bonds for highway projects; Proposition 110, authorizing sales tax and bonds for tranportation projects; and Proposition 112, increased setback requirement for oil and natural gas development.
    Ballot issues that passed the statewide vote were Amendment W, election ballot format for judicial retention elections; Amendment X, industrial hemp definition; Amendment Y, congressional redistricting; Amendment Z, legislative redistricting; Amendment A, prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude in all circumstances; and Proposition 11, limitations on payday loans.
    Phillips County veered from the outcome on three of the issues, as local voters favored Amendment 74 and did not favor Amendments W and A.
    Seven counties in the 13th judicial district soundly opposed (72.5 percent against and 27.5 percent for) a ballot question to change term limits from two to three terms for the office of district attorney.