Early results show Democrat Dwayne Romero with slight lead over incumbent Jeff Hurd in race to represent Western Slope in Congress
Incumbent Rep. Jeff Hurd has sought to cast himself as moderate, but his Democratic opponent Dwayne Romero has tried to tie the congressman to Trump’s policies
Courtesy photos
As of 8:30 p.m., Democratic challenger Dwayne Romero is leading in the race for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.
Romero has a slight lead over Republican incumbent, Jeff Hurd, according to early results posted by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. With about 242,000 votes counted, Romero has received 121,190, or about 50%, while Hurd has received 114,014, or about 47%.
Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District stretches across most of the Western Slope — including Moffat, Pitkin, Routt, Rio Blanco and Garfield counties — and east to Pueblo.
Hurd, a Republican from Grand Junction who served as an attorney before being elected to Congress in 2024, is running for a second term.
Romero is a 30-year Aspen-area resident who owns a real estate management company, Romero Realty. He is also a former U.S. Army Ranger who has served multiple terms on the Aspen City Council and the Aspen School District Board of Education.
Romero has sought to tie Hurd to the conservative policies and politics of Trump, while positioning himself as a Democrat who would push back more aggressively on the Trump administration and its cuts to healthcare, social safety nets and public lands.
As a congressman and candidate, Hurd has sought to present himself as a moderate conservative who is willing to cross the aisle to strike a deal with Democrats. Ahead of the primary, Hurd drew the public ire of President Donald Trump by voting with House Democrats to overturn tariffs on Canada, though the measure never became law. But he has also voted for some of Trump’s signature policies, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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