Progressive challengers aiming to unseat two of Colorado’s best-known and longest-serving incumbents are starting off at a major financial disadvantage as they seek to bring their case to voters this year.

U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper’s campaign collected more than $5.4 million in contributions and transfers from other campaign committees last year, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures, as the onetime Colorado governor seeks a second six-year Senate term in 2026. Hickenlooper began the year with more than $3.8 million in cash on hand.

His top challenger in the Democratic primary, state Senator Julie Gonzales of Denver, announced her campaign on Dec. 8, raising $178,843 before the FEC’s year-end reporting deadline.

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That put Hickenlooper’s reelection campaign at about a 20-to-1 financial advantage over Gonzales with six months to go until the June primary election — though Gonzales’ abbreviated fundraising haul is much closer, on a prorated basis, to the approximately $239,000 in contributions reported by Hickenlooper’s campaign in an average three-week span last quarter.

In a press release, Gonzales said her campaign is “just getting started.”

“I’m not going to out-fundraise a multimillionaire incumbent backed by the political establishment, and I’m not trying to,” she said in a statement. “We’re going to win by organizing in every corner of this state, talking to people who feel ignored, and building real power for working families.”

Hickenlooper’s campaign, meanwhile, touted his “strong grassroots support” and a list of endorsements from leading liberal groups.

“Coloradans know we’re strongest when we’re united, pushing back against this administration’s cruel agenda,” Hickenlooper said in a statement.

It’s extremely rare for a sitting U.S. senator to be unseated by a primary challenge. In regularly scheduled federal elections, it’s happened just eight times in the last 44 years. Former GOP Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana was the last Senate incumbent to lose a primary, in 2012.

Karen Breslin, a political science professor and the first of Hickenlooper’s challengers to enter the Democratic primary last year, raised just over $130,000 over the course of 2025, but had just $7,284 in cash on hand as of Jan. 1. Two other candidates, Brashad Hasley and A.J. Zimpfer, are running the Democratic primary.

To qualify for the primary ballot, candidates must either submit at least 1,500 valid petition signatures from each congressional district, or receive support from at least 30 percent of the delegates to Democrats’ statewide convention, scheduled for March 28 in Pueblo.

1st District race

U.S. Representative Diana DeGette is by far Colorado’s longest-serving member of Congress, having represented Denver in the 1st District seat since first being elected in 1996.

Melat Kiros, a Ph.D. student and first-time candidate, launched a primary challenge against DeGette last July. University of Colorado Regent Wanda James, who has represented the 1st District on the Board of Regents since 2023, joined the race in September.

DeGette reported $713,394 in campaign receipts last year and began 2026 with $535,212 in cash on hand, according to FEC disclosures.

James raised just under $180,000 after entering the race and has spent about half that total. Kiros raised a total of $204,541 and had $64,344 in cash on hand as of Jan. 1. A third Democratic primary candidate, teacher Santiago Palomino, raised $6,112.

Colorado’s primary elections will be held on June 30.