Jeff Hurd wins GOP nod in Colorado's 3rd District, despite Democratic meddling

Jeff Hurd, a Grand Junction attorney and first-time candidate, won the Republican nomination for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert .

Why it matters: The result gives establishment Republicans a victory against pro-Trump forces and makes it more likely Republicans will retain the seat in the November election.

Driving the news: In the six-way GOP contest, Hurd won 42% in preliminary results at 11:45pm. The Associated Press projected him as the winner shortly after 8pm.

• His primary challenger, prominent 2020 election denier and Trump supporter Ron Hanks, received 29%.
• The remaining candidates took 10% or less.

The big picture: For the second time in as many elections, the result is an embarrassment for Democrats, who spent big money attacking Hurd and trying to boost Hanks, who is seen as the more vulnerable candidate in November.

• Rocky Mountain Values, a Democratic political committee, spent about $500,000 to boost Hanks' candidacy and Democratic candidate Adam Frisch ran a digital ad that suggested Boebert's supporters should back Hanks, the Colorado Sun reports.

The intrigue: Democrats also made a big bet on Hanks in 2022 when the party meddled in the GOP race for U.S. Senate in Colorado. Hanks lost that race, too, despite Democrats spending $4 million to help him.

What's next: In November, Hurd will face Frisch, a moderate Democrat who is raising huge sums and attracting national attention. Frisch is trying to snatch a Western Slope district that favors Republicans in voter registration numbers.

Yes, but: The race may prove close. Boebert fled the Western Slope's 3rd District to run in the 4th District on the Front Range amid concerns she couldn't win re-election against Frisch, a former Aspen city councilman and financier.

• Boebert defeated him by a mere 546 votes in the 2022 election.