University of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl took the lead early over former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez – and maintained that advantage throughout the night – in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.
About an hour after polls, the Associated Press called the race for Ganahl when she held a roughly 6-point lead over Lopez in preliminary, unofficial returns.
Ganahl will face Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, a former congressman and wealthy tech entrepreneur who poured roughly $23 million into his first gubernatorial campaign four years ago.
Lopez, who finished in third place in the 2018 GOP primary for governor, came up short despite at least $3 million in TV advertising and mailers paid for by Democratic-aligned groups, who likely viewed him as the weaker challenger to Polis.
A triumphant Ganahl denounced attempts by Democrats to pick general election opponents.
Republican gubernatorial candidates Heidi Ganahl, left, and Greg Lopez take part in a debate on May 21, 2022, in Denver in this file photo. Colorado's primary election voters decide on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, which will face Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
"For a second time now, I have defeated Jared Polis and the far-left," she said in a statement. "I beat them a few years ago in my race for University of Colorado regent, and I did it again today when they tried to steal our Republican primary. Their dirty trick backfired. Our team and our supporters are energized and ready to fight for our Colorado way of life. Let’s tell Jared Polis this is an election, not an auction."
Colorado Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll tore into Ganahl in a statement that referenced Ganahl's recent appearances on Trump-aligned media outlets and embrace of Steve Bannon, Sen. Sebastian Gorka and other conservative personalities.
“After a year spent outlining her plans to ban abortion, elevate conspiracy theorists, and make it hard for cops to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals, Hiding Heidi can’t hide her extreme agenda any more,” Carroll said. “Ganahl’s campaign promises to MAGA conspiracy theorists may have helped her narrowly win the primary, but they are severely out-of-step with Colorado values and make her unelectable in the general election.”
The wealthy founder of a national chain of dog daycare facilities, Ganahl is the only Republican holding statewide office in Colorado and has been seen as one of the GOP's brightest stars.
Unseating Polis could be a tough climb, however, since Colorado has only elected one Republican governor in the last 50 years and the incumbent has maintained high approval ratings since taking office.
Watch: Former gubernatorial chief of staff on primary results
Doug Friednash, an attorney with Brownstein and former chief of staff to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, tells Colorado Politics that state Republicans’ “sanity slate” prevailed, with Heidi Ganahl, Joe O’Dea and Pam Anderson poised to win their respective races.
Watch: KUSA coverage of primary election
