Elisabeth Epps and Tim Hernández lose re-election bid in blow for progressives

Two prominent progressive incumbent state lawmakers lost their seats in Denver on Tuesday.

State of play: Denver state Rep. Elisabeth Epps lost to challenger Sean Camacho in House District 6 in east Denver, with the AP calling the race shortly before 8:30pm.

Meanwhile, incumbent Tim Hernández lost to his primary challenger, Cecelia Espenoza. The AP called the race shortly after 10pm on Tuesday.

The intrigue: The challengers were backed by leaders in their own party and big-money interests .

State of play: Whoever wins the primary in the heavily-Democratic districts will most likely win the seat outright.

Context: Epps, an attorney who has publicly called for abolishing the police, narrowly won the east Denver seat in 2022 . Her challenger, Camacho, is a lawyer and former military intelligence officer.

• Hernández and Espenoza, a former federal judge, are again vying for the same position. Hernández got the upper hand in August 2023 to serve in the northwest Denver seat during a vacancy meeting.

Follow the money: Super PACs spending in House District 6 has topped nearly $235,000, with most of the money opposing Epps, the Colorado Sun reports.

• Super PACs have spent nearly $345,000 in the House District 4 race. More than half has gone to support the Hernández, according to the Sun.

What they're saying: "The influence of money is really, really deep in Colorado politics right now," Hernández told us Tuesday evening, criticizing outside money he says tries to "buy" primaries and limit progressives.

Between the lines: House District 6 includes Denver neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, Congress Park and Hale, while House District 4 encompasses Jefferson Park, Sunnyside and Westwood.