Colorado Primary: Dems and Unaffiliated Go Left

Colorado joined California and a small select list of Bernie Sanders states on Super Tuesday. It confirms Colorado’s image of the state becoming more California-like. In fact, a quick look at the results of the top four candidates would place Colorado more liberal than California. Of course, in Colorado, unaffiliated voters can vote – and more than 350,000 did for Democrats. (Ballots are still being counted in both states.)

Combining the California and Colorado Sanders-Warren votes show 46 percent of California Democrats on the left whereas in Colorado, the number is 55 percent on the left. Colorado had a few more moderate Democrats who voted for Bloomberg and Biden than California (Colorado 44% to California 39%).

It suggests a couple of political observations:

• Much of the party and its unaffiliated allies are further to the left than the party establishment (officeholders and funders) and probably the Colorado electorate overall.
• John Hickenlooper will have trouble with a liberal party from caucus to state convention, and even into the June 30 primary. (Primary Democrats voted 55% to 44% to the left.)
• The unaffiliated voters broke three-to-one for the Democrats. Unless Democrats pick weak nominees for president and senate and/or run poor campaigns (both entirely possible), the incumbent Republican is at a major disadvantage.