Democrat voters in Montezuma County on Tuesday overwhelmingly chose Diane Mitsch Bush to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton.
County Republicans chose state Treasurer Walker Stapleton as their candidate for governor, while Democrats went for Cary Kennedy, who lost the primary election to U.S. Rep. Jared Polis.
In Montezuma County, 5,490 voters participated in the 2018 Primary Election on Tuesday.
The big change this year was that unaffiliated voters were allowed to vote in the primary, but had to choose to vote on either the Democrat or Republican ballot.
Republican and Democrat candidates for county offices, state senator and state representative office all ran unopposed in the primary, and they will make the general election ballot in November.
The following results are unofficial.
Republican county commissioner candidate Jim Candelaria received 2,331 votes to represent his party.
Democrat county commissioner candidate MB McAfee received 1,863 votes to represent her party.
The two will face off in the November election.
Republican candidates for six Montezuma County offices had no Democrat challengers for the November ballot.
They are Republicans Steve Nowlin for sheriff (2,713 votes), Kim Percell for County Clerk and Recorder (2,803 votes), Ellen Black for County Treasurer (2,645 votes), Leslie Kennedy-Bugg for County Assessor (2,585 votes), Ernest Maness for County Surveyor, (2,690 votes) and George Deavers for County Coroner (2,750 votes).
Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton is running for re-election and went unchallenged in his party’s primary, garnering 2,642 votes.
Democrats fielded three candidates in their primary election to decide who will go against him in November. Democrat candidate Diane Mitsch Bush won with 1,286 votes, or 66.49 percent. Karl Hanlon received 495 votes (25.59 percent), and Arn Menconi received 153 votes (7.91 percent).
District-wide, Bush won with 63.9 percent of the votes.
District-wide, Bush won with 63.9 percent of the votes.For State Senator District 6, Republican Don Coram received 2,545 votes.
On the Democrat side, Guinn Unger Jr., received 1,596 votes.
For State Representative District 58, Republican Marc Catlin received 2,398 votes.
Democrat Seth Cagin received 1,613 votes.
Coram and Unger will face off in the November election, as will Catlin and Cagin.
For governor, Republicans and Democrats both fielded four candidates in the primary.
On the Republican side in Montezuma County, Walker Stapleton received 1,225 votes, or 40.44 percent. Greg Lopez received 439 votes (14.49 percent); Doug Robinson, 382 votes (12.61 percent); and Victor Mitchell, 983 votes (32.45 percent).
Statewide, Stapleton also was the winner, with 47.83 percent of votes.On the Democrat primary ballot for governor, county voters gave Cary Kennedy 702 votes, or 34.93 percent. Jared Polis received 627 votes (31.19 percent); Donna Lynne, 250 votes (12.44 percent); and Mike Johnston, 431 votes (21.44 percent).
Statewide, Polis won with 44.74 percent of votes.
Statewide, Polis won with 44.74 percent of votes.For Colorado Attorney General, Republican George Brauchler went unopposed in the primary and garnered 2,412 votes in Montezuma County.
On the Democrat side, candidates Phil Weiser and Joe Salazar faced off to go up against Brauchler in the November general election. In Montezuma County, Salazar received 1,103 votes (58.05 percent); and Weiser, 797 votes (41.95 percent).
Statewide, Weiser was the winner, with 50.44 percent of votes.
Statewide, Weiser was the winner, with 50.44 percent of votes.For state treasurer, Republicans fielded three candidates in the primary, and Democrats had two.
In Montezuma County, Republican Justin Everett gained 967 votes, or (35.43 percent). Polly Lawrence received 675 votes (24.73 percent); and Brian Watson, 1,087 votes (39.83 percent).
Statewide, Watson won a close race with Everett, 37.99 percent to 36.94 percent.On the Democrat side for state treasurer, county voters gave Dave Young 1,140 votes (67.50 percent) and Bernard Douthit 549 votes (32.50 percent).
Statewide, Young won with 68.07 percent of votes.
Statewide, Young won with 68.07 percent of votes.Both parties’ candidates for secretary of state ran unopposed. On the Democrat side, Jena Griswold received 1,667 votes in Montezuma County, while Republican Wayne Williams received 2,445 votes.
Candidates for Regents of the University of Colorado went unchallenged in the primary.
On the Republican side, county voters gave Ken Montera 2,300 votes for the at-large seat, and Glen Gallegos 2,282 votes for the District 3 seat.
On the Democrat side for CU Regents, county voters gave Lesley Smith 1,579 votes for the at-large seat, and Alvin Rivera received 1,580 votes for the District 3 seat.
Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder Kim Percell said turnout “was busy” for the primary election. There were 5,490 ballots returned. Of those ballots, 2,850 were Republican, 1,559 were Democrat, and 1,081 were Unaffiliated.
How many of the county’s unaffiliated voters cast ballots for Republicans and how many cast ballots for Democrats was not available.
Percell said that across the state, including Montezuma County, there had been some confusion regarding how unaffiliated voters could vote.
“They could only vote one ballot, either Republican or Democrat, if they voted both ballots, then both were rejected,” she said.
In Montezuma County, 41 voters turned in ballots for both parties, so neither were counted.
In the months leading up to the election a “U Choose” campaign was launched by the state to inform unaffiliated voters they could only vote for one party ballot in the primary.
