2018 Colorado Attorney General election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2018 Colorado Attorney General election
| popular_vote1 = 1,285,464
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2014 Colorado Attorney General election
| previous_year = 2014
| election_date = {{Start date|2018|11|06}}
| next_election = 2022 Colorado Attorney General election
| next_year = 2022
| image1 = File:AG Phil Weiser.jpg
| image_size = 150x150px
| nominee1 = Phil Weiser
| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
| country = Colorado
| image2 = 3x4.svg
| percentage1 = 51.6%
| nominee2 = George Brauchler
| party2 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 1,124,757
| percentage2 = 45.1%
| map_image = {{switcher |250px |County results |250px |Congressional district results |250px |Precinct results |default=1}}
| map_size = 250px
| map_caption = Weiser: {{legend0|#A5B0FF|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}} {{legend0|#0D0596|>90%}}
Brauchler: {{legend0|#FFB2B2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#E27F7F|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#D72F30|70–80%}} {{legend0|#C21B18|80–90%}} {{legend0|#A80000|>90%}}
Tie: {{legend0|#d2b1d9|40–50%}} {{legend0|#808080|No votes}}
| title = Attorney General
| before_election = Cynthia Coffman
| before_party = Republican Party (US)
| after_election = Phil Weiser
| after_party = Democratic Party (US)
}}{{ElectionsCO}}
The 2018 Colorado Attorney General election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next attorney general of Colorado.
Incumbent Republican Cynthia Coffman did not run for re-election, instead opting to run for governor.{{Cite news|last=Paul|first=Jesse|last2=Frank|first2=John|date=November 8, 2017|title=Cynthia Coffman is running for governor of Colorado, adding to long list of GOP primary candidates|work=The Denver Post|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2017/11/08/cynthia-coffman-governor-colorado-campaign/|access-date=June 22, 2021}} The Democratic Party nominated Phil Weiser, who subsequently defeated Republican nominee George Brauchler in the general election.{{Cite web|title=Colorado Attorney General election, 2018|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_Attorney_General_election,_2018|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Ballotpedia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523135436/https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_attorney_general_election,_2018 |archive-date=2017-05-23 }} Weiser's victory marked the first time a Democrat became attorney general since Ken Salazar (in office from 1999 to 2005) and the second time a Democrat won the office since the 1970s.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-11-07 |title=Colorado Attorney General: Weiser To Be The Next AG After Brauchler Concedes |url=https://www.cpr.org/2018/11/07/colorado-attorney-general-weiser-to-be-the-next-ag-after-brauchler-concedes/ |access-date=2024-12-28 |website=Colorado Public Radio |language=en}}
Republican primary
Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler won the Republican nomination unopposed.{{Cite web|title=George Brauchler|url=https://ballotpedia.org/George_Brauchler|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Ballotpedia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107122957/https://ballotpedia.org/George_Brauchler |archive-date=2018-11-07 }}{{Cite web|date=July 24, 2018|title=CO Attorney General – R Primary|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=834795|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Our Campaigns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204316/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=834795 |archive-date=2021-06-24 }}
{{Election box begin no change|title=Republican primary results}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=George Brauchler|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=414,532|percentage=100.0}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=414,532|percentage=100.0}}
{{Election box end}}
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary was contested between Phil Weiser, former dean of the University of Colorado Law School, and Joe Salazar, a state representative. Prior to the primary, outgoing John Hickenlooper took the "extraordinary move" of publicly endorsing Weiser.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-18 |title=Hickenlooper, in extraordinary move, endorses Phil Weiser in Democratic primary for Colorado attorney general |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2018/06/18/hickenlooper-endorses-phil-weiser-attorney-general/ |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=The Denver Post |language=en-US}} Salazar's campaign had received support from democratic socialist U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and left-wing organization Our Revolution.{{Cite web |last=Luning |first=Ernest |title=Bernie Sanders endorses Joe Salazar in Democratic attorney general's race |url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/hot-sheet/bernie-sanders-endorses-joe-salazar-in-democratic-attorney-generals-race/article_ed564601-d5a6-505c-b162-ae497cca715b.html |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=Colorado Politics |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Luning |first=Ernest |title=Democrat Joe Salazar endorsed by Bernie Sanders-aligned Our Revolution group for attorney general |url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/democrat-joe-salazar-endorsed-by-bernie-sanders-aligned-our-revolution-group-for-attorney-general/article_0d2f376f-39f2-50bd-9582-6670ff189b16.html |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=Colorado Politics |language=en}}
= Convention results =
Weiser and Salazar qualified for the Democratic primary ballot.{{Cite web|date=April 13, 2018|title=Colorado Democratic Assembly Results|url=https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/106900/colorado-democratic-assembly-open-thread|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Colorado Pols|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122160803/https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/106900/colorado-democratic-assembly-open-thread |archive-date=2018-11-22 }} Attorney Amy Padden did not qualify.{{Cite web|date=December 1, 2018|title=CO Attorney General – D State Assembly|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=851308|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Our Campaigns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203803/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=851308 |archive-date=2021-06-24 }}
| class="wikitable"
!Candidate !Total raw votes !Percentage of vote won (%) |
| Phil Weiser
|1,805 | bgcolor="lightgreen" |52.87 |
|---|
| Joe Salazar
|1,249 | bgcolor="lightgreen" |36.59 |
| Amy Padden
|360 |10.55 |
= Primary results =
Weiser narrowly defeated Salazar by a 50.43% to 49.57% margin.{{Cite web|date=July 24, 2018|title=CO Attorney General – D Primary|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=834794|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Our Campaigns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203112440/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=834794 |archive-date=2019-02-03 }}
[[File:2018 Colorado Attorney Democratic Primary results map by county.svg|thumb|250px|Democratic primary results by county
{{collapsible list
| title = {{legend|#6674de|Weiser}}
|{{legend|#7996e2|50–60%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = {{legend|#37c837|Salazar}}
|{{legend|#5fd35f|50–60%}}
|{{legend|#37c837|60–70%}}
|{{legend|#2ca02c|70–80%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = Tie
|{{legend|#AE8BB1|50%}}
}}
]]
{{Election box begin no change|title=Democratic primary results}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Phil Weiser|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=298,048|percentage=50.43}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Joe Salazar|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=292,912|percentage=49.57}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=590,960|percentage=100.0}}
{{Election box end}}
Libertarian nomination
Attorney William F. Robinson, III was the Libertarian nominee.{{Cite web|date=September 22, 2018|title=Robinson, III, William F.|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=417100|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Our Campaigns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202913/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=417100 |archive-date=2021-06-24 }}
General election
File:Phil Weiser Supporters.jpg
Weiser won the general election by a 6.5% margin of victory.{{Cite web|date=December 3, 2018|title=CO Attorney General|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=838211|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Our Campaigns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624210050/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=838211 |archive-date=2021-06-24 }}{{Cite web|date=February 24, 2019|title=2018 Attorney General General Election Results|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=8&year=2018&f=0&off=9&elect=0|url-status=live|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204450/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=8&year=2018&f=0&off=9&elect=0 |archive-date=2021-06-24 }}
{{Election box begin no change|title=Colorado Attorney General election, 2018}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Phil Weiser|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=1,285,464|percentage=51.6}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=George Brauchler|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=1,124,757|percentage=45.1}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=William F. Robinson, III|party=Libertarian Party (United States)|votes=81,733|percentage=3.3}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=2,491,954|percentage=100.0}}
{{Election box gain with party link no change|winner=Democratic Party (United States)|loser=Republican Party (United States)}}
{{Election box end}}
=Results by congressional district=
Weiser won four of seven congressional districts.{{Cite web|url=https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::22b4dc91-5c29-4d11-a408-108feda65390|title=DRA 2020|website=Daves Redistricting|accessdate=August 18, 2024}}
| class=wikitable
! District ! Brauchler ! Weiser ! Representative |
| align=center
! {{party shading/Democratic}}|{{ushr|Colorado|1|1st}} | 26% | 72% | {{party shading/Democratic}}|Diana DeGette |
| align=center
! {{party shading/Democratic}}|{{ushr|Colorado|2|2nd}} | 37% | 60% | {{party shading/Democratic}}|Joe Neguse |
| align=center
! {{party shading/Republican}}|{{ushr|Colorado|3|3rd}} | 52% | 45% | {{party shading/Republican}}|Scott Tipton |
| align=center
! {{party shading/Republican}}|{{ushr|Colorado|4|4th}} | 60% | 37% | {{party shading/Republican}}|Ken Buck |
| align=center
! {{party shading/Republican}}|{{ushr|Colorado|5|5th}} | 59% | 37% | {{party shading/Republican}}|Doug Lamborn |
| align=center
! {{party shading/Democratic}}|{{ushr|Colorado|6|6th}} | 45% | 52% | {{party shading/Democratic}}|Jason Crow |
| align=center
! {{party shading/Democratic}}|{{ushr|Colorado|7|7th}} | 41% | 55% | {{party shading/Democratic}}|Ed Perlmutter |
References
{{2018 United States elections}}