2024 Colorado's 4th congressional district special election explained

Election Name:	2024 Colorado's 4th congressional district special election
Country:	Colorado
Type:	by-election
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado#District 4
Previous Year:	2022
Next Year:	November 2024
Next Election:	2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado#District 4
Election Date:	June 25, 2024
Image1:	File:Greg Lopez 118th Congress portrait.jpg
Nominee1:	Greg Lopez
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	100,095
Percentage1:	58.40%
Nominee2:	Trisha Calvarese
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	59,013
Percentage2:	34.43%
Image3:	3x4.svg
Nominee3:	Hannah Goodman
Party3:	Libertarian Party (United States)
Popular Vote3:	9,068
Percentage3:	5.29%
U.S. Representative
Before Election:	Ken Buck
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Greg Lopez
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)
Map Size:	200px

The 2024 Colorado's 4th congressional district special election was held on June 25, 2024, to fill the vacant seat in Colorado's 4th congressional district. The winner will serve in the United States House of Representatives for the remainder of the 118th United States Congress. The seat became vacant on March 22, 2024, when Ken Buck resigned from Congress.^[1]

The 4th district is based in eastern Colorado and the exurbs of Denver, taking in Highlands Ranch, Loveland, and Castle Rock.^[2] It is considered a safe Republican district and the most strongly Republican district in Colorado.^[1]

Nominees were not chosen via primary election. Instead, each party's nominee was selected by a committee of party leaders and elected officials in the 4th congressional district.^[3]

Republican nominee Greg Lopez easily defeated Democratic nominee Trisha Calvarese with 58.4% of the vote.

Republican nomination

The Republican nominee was chosen on March 28, 2024, by a 111-member committee. Two candidates in the election, Holtorf and Lynch, served on the committee.^[4]

Candidates

Nominee

• Greg Lopez, former mayor of Parker and candidate for governor in 2018 and 2022^[5]

Eliminated at convention

• Ted Harvey, former state senator and candidate for the 6th district in 2008^[6]
• Richard Holtorf, state representative^[7]
• Mike Lynch, state representative and former Minority Leader of the Colorado House of Representatives^[7]
• Scott Melbye, nuclear energy executive^[8]
• Chris Phelen, businessman and former policy advisor to U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema^[8]
• Jerry Sonnenberg, Logan County commissioner and former president pro tempore of the Colorado Senate^[9]
• Floyd Trujillo, energy consultant and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2014^[8]
• Peter Yu, mortgage banker, nominee for the 2nd district in 2018, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022^[8]

Withdrawn

• Deborah Flora, radio host and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022 (unsuccessfully ran in the regular primary)^[5]

Declined

• Lauren Boebert, U.S. Representative from the 3rd district (running in regular primary)^[10]

Convention results

Republican convention results
Candidate	First ballot	Second ballot	Third ballot	Fourth ballot	Fifth ballot	Sixth ballot
Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
	12	12.2%	17	17.3%	27	27.6%	34	34.7%	45	45.9%	51	52.6%
	23	23.5%	24	24.5%	24	24.5%	24	24.5%	30	30.6%	46	47.4%
	24	24.5%	27	27.6%	24	24.5%	26	26.5%	23	23.5%
	12	12.2%	13	13.3%	16	16.3%	14	14.3%
	11	11.2%	10	10.2%	7	7.1%
	10	10.2%	4	4.1%
	6	6.1%	4	4.1%
	0	0.0%	0	0.0%
	0	0.0%	0	0.0%

Democratic nomination

The Democratic nominee was chosen at a meeting on April 1, 2024.^[11]

Nominee

• Trisha Calvarese, communications professional^[12]

Eliminated at convention

• Karen Breslin, attorney, college professor, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022^[12]
• Ike McCorkle, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and nominee for this district in 2020 and 2022^[12]
• John Padora, engineer^[12]

Convention results

Democratic convention results^[13]
Candidate	First ballot	Second ballot	Third ballot
%	%	%	%
	31.8%	47.2%	64.5%
	29.0%	26.4%	56.6%	35.5%
	26.5%	26.4%	43.4%
	12.8%

Minor party nominations

Candidates

• Frank Atwood (Approval Voting), chair of the Approval Voting Party and perennial candidate^[14]
• Hannah Goodman (Libertarian), chair of the Colorado Libertarian Party^[15]

General election

Results

County	Greg Lopez Republican		Trisha Calvarese Democratic		Hannah Goodman Libertarian		Frank Atwood AVP		Margin		Total votes
	data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"		data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"	%	data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"		data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"	%	data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"			data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"	%	data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"		data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"	%	data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"		data-sort-type="number" style="text-align:center;"	%
	Adams		1,656		68.5		494		20.4		160		6.6		107		4.4		1,162		48.1	2,417
	Arapahoe		2,881		50.7		2,413		42.5		292		5.1		96		1.7		468		8.2	5,682
	Baca		754		81.1		116		12.5		45		4.8		15		1.6		638		68.6	930
	Bent		777		70.4		231		20.9		63		5.7		33		3.0		546		49.5	1,104
	Cheyenne		541		87.3		38		6.1		28		4.5		13		2.1		503		81.2	620
	Crowley		662		74.6		161		18.2		43		4.8		21		2.4		501		56.4	887
	Douglas		45,311		52.3		35,088		40.5		4,618		5.3		1,623		1.9		10,223		11.8	86,640
	El Paso		1,731		79.7		297		13.7		115		5.3		29		1.3		1,434		66.0	2,172
	Elbert		6,536		74.4		1,669		19.0		459		5.2		121		1.4		4,867		55.4	8,785
	Kiowa		311		83.6		33		8.9		19		5.1		9		2.4		278		74.7	372
	Kit Carson		1,537		82.6		222		11.9		76		4.1		26		1.4		1,315		70.7	1,861
	Larimer		12,536		49.1		11,303		44.3		1,256		4.9		430		1.7		1,233		4.8	25,525
	Lincoln		981		79.4		165		13.4		65		5.3		24		1.9		816		66.0	1,235
	Logan		3,649		75.6		825		17.1		240		5.0		115		2.4		2,824		58.5	4,829
	Morgan		3,903		73.3		1,027		19.3		287		5.4		107		2.0		2,876		54.0	5,324
	Phillips		1,031		77.5		156		11.7		114		8.6		30		2.3		875		65.8	1,331
	Prowers		1,924		76.4		421		16.7		125		5.0		47		1.9		1,503		59.7	2,517
	Sedgwick		546		74.4		125		17.0		38		5.2		25		3.4		421		57.4	734
	Washington		1,398		85.5		121		7.4		79		4.8		37		2.3		1,277		78.1	1,635
	Weld		9,656		66.1		3,862		26.4		820		5.6		278		1.9		5,794		39.7	14,616
	Yuma		1,774		81.2		246		11.3		127		5.8		39		1.8		1,528		69.9	2,186
Total		100,095		58.4		59,013		34.4		9,069		5.3		3,225		1.9		41,082		24.0	171,402

External links

Official campaign websites

• Greg Lopez (R) for Congress
• Trisha Calvarese (D) for Congress
• Hannah Goodman (L) for Congress

Notes and References

1. Web site: Kim . Caitlyn . Rep. Ken Buck to leave office early . . 12 March 2024 . On Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis said he's scheduling the vacancy election for June 25, to coincide with the state primary..
2. News: . March 12, 2024 . Daily Kos Elections congressional district geographic descriptions & largest places (119th Congress).
3. News: Luning, Ernest . March 12, 2024 . March 12, 2024 . Colorado's Ken Buck to step down from Congress next week. .
4. News: . March 19, 2024 . Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 3/19 . March 19, 2024 . Singer, Jeff.
5. Web site: Eason . Brian . Fish . Sandra . Paul . Jesse . Colorado’s marijuana tax situation is even worse than budget writers thought . . https://archive.today/20240322200649/https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/22/unaffiliated-20240322/ . 22 March 2024 . 22 March 2024 . Former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018 and 2022, said Thursday he will run for the Republican special election nomination in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District . live . subscription.
6. News: . March 13, 2024 . March 13, 2024 . Lauren Boebert won’t pursue special election nomination to replace Ken Buck after his abrupt resignation. Paul, Jesse .
7. News: . Luning, Ernest . March 19, 2024 . Lauren Boebert touts Trump endorsement in first TV ad of primary election campaign . March 18, 2024 . Additional Republicans running in the crowded primary include state Reps. Mike Lynch and Richard Holtorf...unlike Boebert, the other announced primary candidates have said they will seek the GOP nod to run in the special election.
8. Web site: Colorado Republicans to pick nominee for special election to fill Ken Buck's vacant US House seat. Luning. Ernest. March 28, 2024. March 29, 2024.
9. News: . March 12, 2024 . March 12, 2024 . Paul, Jesse . Ken Buck announces he will leave Congress on March 22, scrambling race to replace him that includes Lauren Boebert.
10. News: March 13, 2024 . March 13, 2024 . . U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert blasts Ken Buck’s resignation, says she will skip special election to focus on primary race. Coltrain, Nick .
11. News: . Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 3/15 . March 15, 2024 . March 15, 2024 . Nir, David . Reporter Ernest Lee Luning says Democrats in Colorado's 4th Congressional District will meet on April 1 to pick a nominee for the June 25 special election to replace Republican Rep. Ken Buck..
12. Web site: Democrats select Trisha Calvarese to be their nominee for the special election to replace Ken Buck. Paul. Jesse. April 1, 2024. April 2, 2024. The Colorado Sun.
13. eluning. 1774968426454208902. First round of voting completed in Colorado Democrats' convention to pick a candidate for #CO04 seat vacated by Ken Buck: Trisha Calvarese 31.8% John Padora 29% Ike McCorkle 26.5% Karen Breslin 12.8% Since no one got a majority, Breslin drops out for next round. #copolitics. April 2, 2024.
14. News: 2024 US House - District 4 Vacancy Election Candidate List & Ballot Order . Colorado Secretary of State . April 26, 2024.
15. Web site: Freed . Judah. Colorado Libertarians Select Potential Spoiler Candidates at 2024 State Convention. Colorado Times Recorder. April 1, 2024.