KDNK's Local Newscast airs weekday mornings at 6:41 and 7:41 during Morning Edition. Let’s look at local and statewide election results this morning.
Here in Garfield County, the count continues today, with 3,159 returned ballots to go. About 84 percent of active registered voters either returned a mail-in ballot or voted in person. Dan Richardson won the three-way race for Carbondale mayor, defeating Katrina Byars and Ed Cortez. Glenwood Springs voters supported both tax measures 2H and 2I to help fund infrastructure work and groups like the Historical Society and Glenwood Center for the Arts. Republican Jeff Cheney was elected as Ninth Judicial District attorney, defeating incumbent Sherry Caloia and independent Chip McCrory. Republican Garfield County Commissioner John Martin was reelected for a sixth term, defeating challenger John Acha. In Parachute, voters soundly rejected marijuana prohibition. They also voted in favor of a new marijuana tax. Voters overwhelmingly supported the ballot questions related to broadband, with Garfield County, Carbondale, Silt and Parachute saying yes. In Pitkin County, Democrat Greg Poschman was elected County Commissioner by a wide margin and the Open Spaces mill levy was renewed through 2040. Aspen School District taxes passed in Aspen and Snowmass so funding is secure for the next five years. Incumbents swept their races in Snowmass. And the DA’s race is still too close to call this morning. Eagle County retained Democrat County Commissioners Jill Ryan and Kathy Chandler-Henry. Basalt voters look to have defeated Question 2F, the purchase of the former Pan and Fork mobile home park site. Theoretically, the gap could be overcome with final vote tallies in Eagle and Pitkin County. The related measure, 2G, intended to allow borrowing over 4 million dollars to pay for park improvements, is also facing defeat. And it looks like all the judges on the Colorado Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals have been retained by local voters.
Looking at results from the Colorado Secretary of State, United States Senator Michael Bennet and US Congressman Scott Tipton were re-elected. Republican State Senator Randy Baumgardner defeated challenger Emily Tracy. It looks like the state legislature will remain split with Republicans retaining a one-vote majority in the State Senate and Democrats maintaining control of the State House. For statewide ballot measures, Amendment T which would remove involuntary servitude is still too close to call with 80% of votes counted. Right now about 30,000 votes seperate No from Yes. Amendment U, a property tax exemption, failed. Amendment 69, ColoradoCare, was trounced with 79% of voters saying no. Amendment 70 passed, so the minimum wage will go up gradually to $12 dollars an hour by 2020. Amendment 71 which will make it nearly impossible to qualify future statewide ballot initiatives without millions of dollars, was approved by voters with 56% voting yes so far with about 82% of votes counted. Voters rejected the increase to tobacco tax, Amendment 72. Proposition 106, Medical Aid in Dying, was approved by more than 64 percent of voters. Proposition 107 to recreate a presidential primary was approved. And Proposition 108 which would expand unaffiliated voting in primaries looks like it will pass.
Colorado bucked the national trend and was one of the only swing states in the country Republican Donald Trump did not win on his path to the presidency. Control of the state legislature remains split and incumbent members of Congress won reelection. Rocky Mountain Community Radio reporter Bente Birkeland has more.
