Voters in Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah cast ballots, with Hickenlooper winning Dem Senate primary

Three states held primaries Tuesday, with marquee contests that included Democrat John Hickenlooper scoring a win in Colorado and Republican Jon Huntsman trying to again become Utah governor, and voters also going to the polls in Oklahoma. Polls have closed in Oklahoma and Colorado.

Hickenlooper –  a former Colorado governor, Denver mayor and 2020 presidential candidate – was heavily favored to challenge incumbent GOP Sen. Cory Gardner, a race Democrats think they can win in their bid to control the Senate. 

However, a recent series of missteps by Hickenlooper, including a state ethics violation, announced earlier this month, for accepting large corporations' gifts in 2018, had cost him ground to primary challenger former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. 

Hickenlooper lead in the polls but faced upset against Romanoff, whose platform aligned with the party and the state’s progressive shift. 

In Utah, Huntsman, a former state governor and U.S. ambassador to China and Russia, is in a close contest with Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox. 

A recent survey by the Salt Lake Chamber showed the race a statistical dead heat, with Cox leading 30% to 29%. Also on the ballot are former state House Speaker Greg Hughes and former state Republican party Chair Thomas Wright.

In Oklahoma, Democratic Rep. Kendra Horn is seeking a second term in her seat once held by Republicans for decades. She successfully won the primary that included a long-shot challenge from Tom Guild, a retired professor. However, nine Republican candidates are competing Tuesday for the opportunity to face her in November.