Democratic U.S. House Rep. Diana DeGette has won the Congressional District 1 seat for the 14th time, according to the Associated Press.
DeGette was leading her opponents Republican Jennifer Qualteri and Libertarian John C. Kittleson with about 79% of the vote as of 8:30 p.m.
DeGette has represented the Denver area, along with the nearby suburbs of Glendale, Englewood, Sheridan, and Cherry Hills Village, since 1997, making her the longest-serving member of the Colorado congressional delegation.
Congressional District 1 is the state's most heavily Democratic area with a +57% advantage based on the average of eight past elections. The area remained mostly the same despite recent redistricting.
During DeGette's tenure, seven of her bills have made it into law. Most recently DeGette earmarked federal money in Congress' latest spending package for 10 Colorado projects including $1.45 million for the Montbello FreshLo Project, $2 million to expand the Tepeyac Community Health Clinic in Elyria-Swansea and $3 million to Urban Peak.
DeGette is a fourth-generation Coloradoan and describes herself as a progressive leader. She graduated from Denver's South High School and earned a B.A. in political science from Colorado College in 1979. She returned to Denver in 1982 after she was awarded a J.D from New York University Law School. She began her career as a lawyer focused on civil rights and employment litigation.
