John Hickenlooper beat Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley to win a second term, in a race the AP called as soon as Colorado’s polls closed.
John Hickenlooper, 74, has been a fixture in Colorado politics for more than two decades. He has served as mayor of Denver, as governor of Colorado, and, since 2021, as one of the state’s two U.S. senators.
His path to politics was unusual. He worked as a geologist in the oil industry, lost his job in the downturn of the 1980s, and then co-founded the Wynkoop Brewing Company in 1988 — one of the first brewpubs in the United States. Voters elected him mayor of Denver in 2003 and governor in 2010, and he served two terms in each job.
On Tuesday, Hickenlooper defeated Mark Baisley, a Republican state senator, by a wide margin. The Associated Press called the race at 7 p.m. Mountain Time, right as polls closed. His hardest fight of the year came earlier, in a closer-than-expected Democratic primary.
His win matters because it keeps both of Colorado’s Senate seats in Democratic hands. Hickenlooper has said this term will be his last in office. Watch for the early jockeying to succeed him — in a state this blue, that race will start long before 2032.
Fast facts
- Age: 74
- Party: Democratic
- Office: U.S. Senator
- State: Colorado
- Previous job: Governor of Colorado (2011–2019)
- Called by AP: 7:00 p.m. MT (9:00 p.m. ET), Nov. 3, 2026
Part of the Zark News Election 2026 winners profile series. Winners are listed as called by the Associated Press.
