Primary candidates emerge from assemblies
Parties meet to determine who will run in county, statehouse races
The 2024 election season is picking up steam as growing numbers of Boulder County candidates from both major parties meet the criteria to be included on this year’s primary ballots.
The Boulder County Democratic and Republican parties both held assemblies on Saturday to determine which candidates will face off in certain county and statehouse races in this year’s primary election June 25. Delegates for each party who were chosen in precinct caucuses voted in the assemblies to confirm candidates.
The local county seats up for re-election this year include two County Commissioner seats (Districts 1 and 2) plus the County Coroner, the 20th Judicial District Attorney and an at-large seat on the University of Colorado Board of Regents. There are also a handful of candidates vying for seats in several local state House and Senate districts.
Although some of the candidates are running unopposed, voters in the primary election will decide on candidates for numerous seats.
On the Democratic side, two incumbents, County Commissioner Marta Loachamin and state Rep.
Junie Joseph, have drawn primary challengers this year.
Joseph represents House District 10, an area that includes most of Boulder, particularly east of Broadway, as well as part of Gunbarrel. She was appointed to the state legislature by a vacancy committee in 2022, and she won election that fall by a generous margin.
Joseph will face another Democrat, Tina Mueh, a retired Boulder Valley School District science educator, in this year’s primary. Both Joseph and Mueh were confirmed as candidates through Saturday’s Democratic assembly.
Polly Christensen of Longmont was running against Loachamin for her District 2 County Commissioner seat, but Christensen did not meet the threshold of delegate votes at the assembly to make the primary ballot.
In Senate District 18, an area that encompasses Boulder and a portion of Boulder County east of the city, incumbent Sen. Steve Fenberg is term-limited and will finish his time in office this year. Democratic state Rep. Judy Amabile, currently representing House District 49, will run against fellow Democrat Jovita Schiffer, a consultant and research partner for CU, for Fenberg’s seat.
Amy Weinstein, chair of the Boulder County Democrats, wrote in a statement that Saturday’s assembly had been a “big success,” with 360 delegates representing 168 of the county’s 193 precincts present either in-person or via a proxy.
“An amazing group of Boulder County Democratic Party volunteers worked seamlessly in the background to create the needed organization and business meeting atmosphere to make this complex event work,” she wrote. “We are grateful to the candidates for being willing to serve all of us, and proud of our volunteers for making this important event happen.”
Several GOP candidates for statehouse races were also confirmed for the primary ballot at the Boulder County Republicans assembly on Saturday. In House District 11, which includes much of Longmont and parts of unincorporated Boulder County to the west, former Longmont City Council candidate Steven Altschuler, former Longmont mayor candidate Terri Goon and Katherine Reeves were chosen by the assembly for the GOP primary ticket.
And Robert Mahler, Christian Suarez and Boulder County Republican Party Vice Chair Mark Milliman have all been confirmed as Republican candidates for House District 12, which encompasses Lafayette, Louisville, Niwot and Superior.
Boulder County Republican Party Chair Tara Menza told the Daily Camera that 76 delegates from 66 precincts attended Saturday’s assembly and she felt
“great” about how it went.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm,” she said. “I think we’re just ready to get into the election season and hopefully bring some common ground back to politics.”
Which local Democratic and Republican candidates have been confirmed by assembly for this year’s primary ballots?
• Boulder County Commissioner District 1: Claire Levy (D).• Boulder County Commissioner District 2: Marta Loachamin (D), Donald
“Don” Lewis (R).• Boulder County Coroner: Jeff Martin (D).• 20th Judicial District Attorney: Michael Dougherty (D).• House District 10: Junie Joseph (D) and Tina Mueh (D).• House District 11: Karen Mccormick (D); Steven Altschuler (R), Terri Goon (R) and Katherine Reeves (R).• House District 12: Kyle Brown (D); Robert Mahler (R), Christian Suarez (R), Mark Milliman (R).• Senate District 18: Judy Amabile (D) and Jovita Schiffer (D).
The Boulder County Democrats will hold district assemblies in April,
and the state Democratic Party assembly and convention is scheduled for April 13. The Republican state assembly will take place on April 6.
There will also be elections in 2024 for the Colorado State Board of Education, the U.S. House of Representatives for the 2nd Congressional District and the U.S. president. The primary election for all candidates except president will be held on June 25, and voters can vote in-person or return their ballots by 7 p.m. that day.
This year’s general election will be on Nov. 5.