Congressional and statewide primaries were held on Tuesday in three states: Colorado, Oklahoma, and Utah. Some contests in Utah remain too close to call, so this post will be updated as results are determined. Full context about women in the 2020 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, results from previous primaries, and historical comparisons, are available via the Center for American Women and Politics’ Election Watch page.
Among the most notable results for women:
- Lauren Boebert (R) defeated five-term incumbent Representative Scott Tipton (R) in the Republican primary in Colorado’s 3rd congressional district. She is the second woman candidate to defeat an incumbent in the 2020 cycle (Marie Newman defeated incumbent Representative Dan Lipinski in the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 3rd congressional district earlier this year). Boebert will face Democratic nominee Diane Mitsch Bush in an all-woman general election contest.
- Incumbent Representative Kendra Horn (D) won the Democratic nomination for re-election in November. She will face one of two women – Terry Neese or Stephanie Bice – who advanced to the Republican primary runoff election in Oklahoma’s 5th congressional district. This all but ensures that a woman will continue to hold the congressional seat in OK-05. Cook Political Report currently rates this contest as a toss-up. Horn was elected for the first time in 2018, defeating incumbent Representative Steve Russell (R) in 2018 by 1.4 points.
- Both major-party nominees for Lieutenant Governor of Utah are women: Karina Brown (D) and Diedre Henderson (R).
Colorado
U.S. Senate
On Tuesday, no women candidates ran for major-party nominations in Colorado’s U.S. Senate contest. Incumbent Senator Cory Gardner (R) was unopposed in the Republican primary and two men (2D) competed for the Democratic primary nomination.
No woman has ever served in the U.S. Senate from Colorado.
U.S. House
There is one (1D) woman in Colorado’s seven-member U.S. House delegation.
Women are 4 (3D, 1R) of 14 (28.6%) major-party nominees selected for U.S. House in Colorado, including 3 of 7 (42.9%) Democrats and 1 of 7 (14.3%) Republicans. All women House candidates were successful in their primary bids in Colorado.
- Incumbent Representative Diana DeGette (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary election in Colorado’s 1st congressional district. She is favored to win re-election this fall.
- Lauren Boebert (R) defeated five-term incumbent Representative Scott Tipton (R) in the Republican primary in Colorado’s 3rd congressional district. She is the second woman candidate to defeat an incumbent in the 2020 cycle (Marie Newman defeated incumbent Representative Dan Lipinski in the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 3rd congressional district earlier this year).
- Boebert will face Democratic nominee Diane Mitsch Bush in an all-woman general election contest.
- Mitsch Bush was the Democratic nominee in CO-03 in 2018, when she lost to Tipton by 7.9 points.
- Jillian Freeland (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Doug Lamborn (R) in Colorado’s 5th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
All 4 (3D, 1R) women major-party nominees for the U.S. House from Colorado are white. No woman of color has ever represented Colorado in Congress.
Oklahoma
U.S. Senate
Abby Broyles won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Senator Jim Inhofe (R) in November. If successful in November, Broyles would be the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from Oklahoma. Cook Political Report currently rates this race as “Solid Republican.”
U.S. House
Currently, one woman – Representative Kendra Horn (D) – serves in Oklahoma’s five-member delegation to the U.S. House (20%).
Women are 4 (4D) of 9 (44.4%) major-party nominees already selected for U.S. House in Oklahoma, including 4 of 5 (80%) Democrats and 0 of 4 (0%) Republicans. Another 2 (2R) women advanced to the Republican primary runoff election in Oklahoma’s 5th congressional district. 3 (3R) women candidates were unsuccessful in their primary bids for the U.S. House.
- Incumbent Representative Kendra Horn (D) won the Democratic nomination for re-election in November. She will face one of two women – Terry Neese or Stephanie Bice – who advanced to the Republican primary runoff election in Oklahoma’s 5th congressional district. This all but ensures that a woman will continue to hold the congressional seat in OK-05. Cook Political Report currently rates this contest as a toss-up. Horn was elected for the first time in 2018, defeating incumbent Representative Steve Russell (R) in 2018 by 1.4 points.
- 3(3D) women will run as challengers to incumbents in November. All are running in general election contests that strongly favor their opponents.
- Danyell Lanier (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Markwayne Mullin (R) in Oklahoma’s 2nd congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If elected, Lanier – who identifies as Black and Native American – would be the first woman of color to represent Oklahoma in the U.S. Congress.
- Zoe Midyett (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Frank Lucas (R) in Oklahoma’s 3rd congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
- Mary Brannon (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Tom Cole in Oklahoma’s 4th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
Statewide Elected Executive Office
Women currently hold 4 (4R) of 11 statewide elected executive offices in Oklahoma (36.4%). Just one of those offices is up for election this year: corporation commissioner. There are three corporation commissioners elected statewide in Oklahoma. Among them, there is currently one woman – Dana Murphy (R) – who also serves as Chair of the commission. She is not up for re-election this year.
There were no women candidates in the primary contests for corporation commissioner this year.
Utah
U.S. House
There are currently no women in Utah’s four-member congressional delegation.
Women are 0 of 8 (0%) major-party nominees already selected for U.S. House in Utah, including 0 of 4 (0%) Democrats and 0 of 4 (0%) Republicans. 6 (6R) women House candidates lost their primary bids for the U.S. House at the convention stage and another 3 (1D, 2R) women were defeated in their party’s primary elections.
Statewide Elected Executive Office
There are currently no women holding any of Utah’s five statewide elected executive offices, including governor and lieutenant governor. All five offices are up for election in 2020.
This year, women are 2 of 5 (40%) major-party nominees for statewide elected executive offices in Utah, including 1 of 3 (33.3%) Democrats and 1 of 5 (20%) Republicans. 2 (2R) women candidates were unsuccessful in their primary bids for statewide elected executive office.
- Aimee Winder Newton ran in the Republican Party convention for the gubernatorial nomination, but did not advance to the primary election. No woman will be a major-party nominee for Governor of Utah this year.
- One woman has served as Governor of Utah. Olene Walker was appointed in 2003 and served until January 2005.
- Karina Brown is the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor, as her and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Peterson won their party’s nomination outright at the convention. No Democratic woman has served as Lieutenant Governor of Utah.
- Diedre Henderson is the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Utah in 2020.
- No women ran as major-party candidates for attorney general, state auditor, or state treasurer in 2020.
- No woman has ever served as state auditor or state treasurer in Utah.
- Just 1 (1D) woman has served as Utah’s attorney general: Jan Graham (1993-2001).
