🗳️ A Denverite's guide to Colorado's primaries

☑️ Your Guide to Colorado’s Primary Races

Ballots are due by next Tuesday (June 30) and primary races are heating up across the state. Here’s a look at some of the most contentious races — and what candidates have told us about their goals.

• Governor: Attorney General Phil Weiser is running for the Democratic nomination against Senator Michael Bennett. Listen to our recent conversation with Weiser, then tune into our talk with Bennet, which we taped in fall 2025 (he was not available this primary). [City Cast Denver 🎧]
• U.S. Congress: We talked to Gen Z Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros and CU Regent Wanda James about their bids to represent Congressional District 1. The third candidate, Diana DeGette — who has held the seat for nearly three decades — declined our invitation, but we’ve discussed the recent drama between DeGette and Kiros. [City Cast Denver 🎧]
• U.S. Senator: Colorado State Senator Julie Gonzales talked to City Cast Denver about her run for the seat, but incumbent John Hickenlooper did not respond to our invitations. [City Cast Denver 🎧]
• State Senator, District 34: One of the more contentious debates of this primary season was moderated by City Cast Denver producer Paul Karolyi, who asked opponents Chela Garcia Irlando and Andrés Carrera about dark money and data centers. [City Cast Denver 🎧]
• Attorney General: Hear us review the allegations against Secretary of State Jena Griswold, then see what the other candidates — David Seligman, Michael Dougherty, and Hetal Doshi — think about key issues affecting Colorado. [City Cast Denver 🎧; Colorado Sun]
• Secretary of State: Tune into this voter guide to learn more about Amanda Gonzales and Jessie Danielson, the two Democrats running for this state office. [Colorado Sun]
• The latest gossip on Denver’s primary: The Lever editor-in-chief David Sirota joined host Bree Davies to talk through the most important races on Denverites’ ballots. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🥤 Colorado Can’t Take Soda From SNAP Recipients, Judge Rules

Colorado’s efforts to stop SNAP from covering items like sugary drinks has been blocked by a federal court. The Centennial state had joined 22 other states in an attempt to remove “non-nutritious items like soda and candy” from eligibility for federal food assistance — part of the “Make America Healthy Again” strategy by the Trump administration. [Colorado Newsline; USDA]

🌎 Denver Wants to Pay for Your Climate-Friendly Job Training

The City of Denver announced a new educational credit program to help curb its contributions to climate change emissions. People who pursue certifications in jobs such as EV maintenance, urban forestry, or others on the city’s list can get a $2,500 cash rebate to cover the cost of their education. [Denverite]

🍷 Can The No Tip Model Survive in Denver?

The owners of Yoshi, a new cocktail bar set to open in Uptown in early 2027, say they won’t ask patrons for tips. No service fees will appear on the bill, either. Instead, they’ll pay their small team a salary and use profits to run the business. [Business Den]

• Yoshi isn’t the first establishment to scrap tipping. In 2021, we talked to the owner of Amethyst Coffee, who eliminated tipping while increasing wages and prices for employees. Amethyst closed two years after implementing the new model. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

💸 Bennet’s Big Loan to His Own Campaign

Millions have poured into gubernatorial candidate Michael Bennet’s campaign in the last month, and nearly a million came from…himself? The Lever’s David Sirota explains what such cash flow — both from donations and loans — means for the race, and how it could impact Bennet’s open senate seat if he’s elected to become governor. [Colorado Sun; City Cast Denver 🎧]