Newcomer Sean Camacho has an early lead over incumbent state Rep. Elisabeth Epps in the Democratic race to represent House District 6 on the November ballot.
As of 11:30 p.m., Camacho has 63 percent of the vote, compared to Epps’ 37 percent.
Camacho was optimistic after the first results drop at this election party.
"While we are still waiting for numbers to come in, I think what we have seen so far is Denver made a statement tonight. District Six made a statement tonight," he said in a speech. "They made a statement that they want legislators focused on solutions, working together and making sure that we have affordable housing."
Denverite has reached out to Epps for comment.
Whoever wins the race will face off in November against Kyle Witter, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
The District 6 race is one of the most expensive and closely watched primary races in the city. Camacho far outraised Epps and received a number of high-profile endorsements including from Attorney General Phil Weiser.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary is likely to win the race in November. District 6 covers parts of Capitol Hill, Congress Park, Montclair and Lowry. In 2022, Epps was elected by more than 80 percent.
Sean Camacho’s political path
Camacho is an attorney working on government contracts and commercial litigation. He’s also a reservist in the Air Force.
He is a former Republican and ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2020 and 2022.
If elected, he said he wants to focus on housing, cost of living, the environment and protecting reproductive freedom. Camacho also said he wants to reform Colorado’s tax code, including challenging or recalculating TABOR.
What did Epps’ first term in the state legislature look like?
Epps, who also has training as a lawyer, was first elected to the seat in 2022 after working as a community organizer and criminal justice reform advocate.
As one of the more progressive members of Colorado’s State House, Epps challenged party leadership around a culture of secret meetings, unsuccessfully pushed for an assault weapons ban multiple times and worked on criminal justice reform.
She was recently reprimanded by the Colorado Speaker for her participation in a pro-Palestinian protest at the Capitol.
