Who’s who on Boulder County’s 2024 primary election ballots (2024)

With less than a month until the June 25 statewide primary election, Boulder County officials have announced that voters could start seeing their ballots in the mail as soon as this week.

Eligible Democrat, Republican and unaffiliated voters in Boulder County will have a chance to weigh in on a variety of races in this primary. Seats are up for grabs in several state House and Senate districts within the county. There also will be elections this year for numerous other county and statewide offices.

Although voters will also vote for U.S. president in 2024, the presidential primary election was held in March, so those candidates won’t appear on these ballots.

Below is a list of the candidates and races Boulder County voters can expect to see on their primary ballots.

House District 10

House District 10 includes most of Boulder, especially east of Broadway, as well as part of Gunbarrel.

Junie Joseph (D-Boulder), a former Boulder City Council member, has represented HD10 since 2022, when she was appointed to the state Legislature by a vacancy committee. Joseph graduated in 2020 from the University of Colorado Boulder law school and has championed progressive legislation focused on issues like the environment and renters’ rights.

Tina Mueh is challenging Joseph for the Democratic primary nomination. A longtime Boulder Valley School District science educator, Mueh previously told the Daily Camera she is interested in issues like the environment, reproductive health and justice, worker’s rights and education. She is also a former board member of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains who earned undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees from CU Boulder.

William DeOreo, a water engineer who has served on Boulder’s Open Space Board of Trustees and Water Resources Advisory Board, is running unopposed in the Republican primary for HD10. When he ran for the same seat in the fall of 2022, he told the Daily Camera he opposes “woke ideology” and policies like rent control, abortion rights and state support for unhoused individuals.

House District 11

This district encompasses most of Longmont.

On the Democratic side, Rep. Karen McCormick (D-Longmont) is seeking a third term in office as the representative for House District 11 and is running unopposed. McCormick is a retired small business owner and veterinarian and has lived in Longmont for nearly 30 years.

On the Republican side, Kathy Reeves and Terri Goon will face off in the June 25 primary, with the winner advancing to take on McCormick in the November election for a chance to represent House District 11.

Reeves is a Colorado native and spent most of her career in information technology at Hewlett-Packard. Reeves listed three issues of importance to her candidacy on the Boulder County GOP’s website — securing borders, protecting families and lowering the cost of living.

Goon, who grew up in Longmont and is a database manager, prioritized lowering taxes, defending the right to bear arms and protecting private property rights, according to the Boulder County GOP’s website.

House District 12

This district includes parts of Louisville, Lafayette, Superior and Niwot.

Rep. Kyle Brown (D-Louisville), who was appointed to the House District 12 seat in early 2023, is running unopposed on the Democratic side in hopes of serving a full term in office. Brown previously served for three years on the Louisville City Council.

Republicans Robert Mahler and Mark Milliman are seeking their party’s nomination in the upcoming primary in hopes of taking on Brown in the November general election.

No candidate information was available for Mahler. Milliman has a professional background in electrical engineering and previously ran to represent state House District 11.

House District 19

This district includes Dacono, Erie, Frederick, Firestone, east Longmont and surrounding areas.

Rep. Jennifer Lea Parenti is running unopposed in the Democratic primary to continue representing House District 19. A Colorado native, Parenti is a retired military officer and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Parenti is seeking a second term in office.

On the Republican side, Dan Woog is also running unopposed for a chance to represent House District 19. Woog previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2020 to 2022 and as a trustee for the town of Erie from 2013 to 2020.

House District 49

House District 49 includes the western flank of Boulder plus Lyons, Jamestown, Nederland and a swath of the Rocky Mountains running from Georgetown and Empire to the northern state border. The area is currently represented by Judy Amabile (D-Boulder), who is running for a seat in the state Senate.

Lesley Smith, an at-large member of the CU Board of Regents, is running as a Democrat to represent HD49. Smith was a scientist and educator at CU Boulder for 30 years, and she also spent eight years serving on the Boulder Valley School District board. She has said her policy priorities include education, affordability and the environment.

Max Woodfin is also running in HD49 as a Democrat. If elected, he would seek to improve mental health care access, protections for reproductive rights and public land management, among other policies. Woodfin is a mental health counselor and has spent nearly a decade as an active member of the Colorado Army National Guard.

Steve Ferrante is running unopposed in the Republican primary for HD49. According to his campaign website, he has spent 20 years in law enforcement and 20 years as a pastor, in addition to running a small business in Estes Park.

Senate District 17

This district includes Longmont, Lafayette and Erie.

Democratic Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, who is currently serving in her first term as senator for District 17, is running unopposed in her party’s primary. Jaquez Lewis is a licensed pharmacist and former Medicaid pharmacy director.

On the Republican side, Tom Van Lone is running unopposed for his party’s nomination to represent Senate District 17. Van Lone is the chairman of the Weld County Republicans.

Senate District 18

Senate District 18 includes Boulder and a segment of Boulder County to the east of the city. The district is currently represented by Sen. Steve Fenberg, who is term-limited and will leave office this year.

Judy Amabile, currently the Democratic state representative for House District 49, is running to replace Fenberg. Amabile has focused her legislative work on areas like gun safety, criminal justice reform and mental health, and she has helped enact legislation to improve homeowner’s insurance coverage for people impacted by wildfires.

Jovita Schiffer, an education professional and research consultant, is also running as a Democrat in SD18. She aims to address systemic issues that create opportunity gaps for marginalized groups. Schiffer has worked as a telecommunications professional and a research consultant for CU Boulder, leading the Radical Wellness research project for educators of color.

There are no Republican candidates in the SD18 race.

Boulder County commissioners

Claire Levy is running for reelection as a Democrat in District 1. First elected in 2020, Levy’s policy priorities include increasing opportunities for affordable rental and home ownership, addressing mental and behavioral health needs and establishing a permanent universal cash assistance program for low-income parents. She is unopposed in the primary.

There are no Republican candidates for District 1.

Marta Loachamin is a Democrat running unopposed in the primary for reelection in District 2. She was first elected in 2020 and seeks to promote sustainability, climate justice, racial equity and housing in the county.

Donald “Don” Lewis is running unopposed in the Republican primary for District 2. No candidate information was immediately available for Lewis.

Boulder County Coroner

Jeff Martin is running for reelection as the coroner. He was named interim coroner after former coroner Emma Hall resigned last year after an investigation of her conduct. Martin has been with the Boulder County Coroner’s Office since 2021 and has 10 years’ experience as a peace officer plus 22 years as a medical examiner and coroner.

There are no Republican candidates for coroner.

20th Judicial District Attorney

Michael Dougherty is running unopposed for reelection as the Boulder County district attorney. He has served as the county DA since 2018 and has focused on reducing gun violence and domestic violence. His future goals include expanding behavioral health treatment within the justice system and reducing recidivism.

There are no Republican candidates for Boulder County DA.

CU Board of Regents At-Large Seat

Elliott Hood is running as a Democrat for the at-large seat on the CU Board of Regents. A CU alum, Hood is a school attorney and former teacher who has said he seeks to “ensure that CU is affordable and accessible, to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, to protect academic freedom and to push CU to take bolder action on climate and to protect our environment.”

Charles “CJ” Johnson is also a Democrat running for the CU Board of Regents at-large seat. According to his campaign website, he is a former collegiate football player at CU and current member of the CU Board of Trustees who aims to make sure CU stays “a beacon of educational, social and economic excellence.”

Eric Rinard is running unopposed in the Republican primary for the CU Board of Regents at-large seat. He is also a CU alum and engineer who believes in “free speech, individual liberty and rational debate,” according to a release. Rinard has served as district captain and secretary of the Weld County Republican Party.

Colorado State Board of Education, Second Congressional District

The Second Congressional District includes Boulder, Clear Creek, Eagle, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson, Jefferson, Larimer, Routt and Summit counties.

Kathy Gebhardt is running as a Democrat to represent the district in the State Board of Education. She is an education attorney and former BVSD school board president who has said she “believe(s) in the dignity of every child and will work to ensure that every child has an equitable opportunity to succeed in life.”

Marisol Lynda Rodriguez is challenging Gebhardt for the Democratic nomination for the district seat on the State Board of Education. Her campaign website describes her as a Boulder business owner and “education veteran” who has “has spent the last 20 years working in schools to help with strategy and team building.”

There are no Republican candidates for this district for the State Board.

U.S. House of Representatives, Second Congressional District

Joe Neguse is a Democrat running for reelection for the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is unopposed in the primary election and is Colorado’s first Black member of Congress as well as an attorney, a former University of Colorado regent and a member of former Gov. John Hickenlooper’s cabinet. His focuses include preventing gun violence.

Marshall Dawson is a Longmont Republican running against Neguse for his seat in the U.S. House. Originally from Kentucky, Dawson, an engineer, has previously said the federal government should slow its spending, and he has blamed the president and congressional leaders for high inflation. Dawson previously ran for this seat and lost in 2022.