Nick Hinrichsen declares victory over Stephen Varela in key Colorado Senate race
Incumbent state Senator Nick Hinrichsen declared victory Wednesday over Republican challenger Stephen Varela in the Colorado Senate District 3 race. Varela also conceded the race.
Hinrichsen was leading by 2,602 votes, standing at 52.3% of the total as of Wednesday evening. Varela had 47.7% of votes with over 59,000 ballots counted at that point.
Varela tweeted a statement Wednesday night congratulating Hinrichsen for his win.
"Last night's result was not the outcome I hoped for, obviously, but I want to congratulate (Hinrichsen) on his victory," Varela wrote. "A few minutes ago, I called him to concede. While we disagree on many issues, I know how hard he worked and appreciate his service.
"I also want to thank my supporters and the people of Pueblo County who voted for me. I was honored to meet so many of you and appreciated your support. In a traditionally Democratic town, we got so close!"
Hinrichsen thanked supporters and declared victory in a statement released a few hours before Varela's public concession.
"This campaign has always been about our Pueblo values," Hinrichsen said, evoking one of Varela's campaign slogans.
"We have always known that fairness, honesty, transparency, and decisive leadership matter here. That's why we worked hard to spread our message, engage with voters, and raise dollars here in Pueblo County. In the success of this campaign, we proved that Pueblo is still a Union Town and what it means to be Pueblo Proud. I'm proud to continue to be the senator from Pueblo and to continue the fight for what we believe in."
Initial results from other state Senate races show Democratic candidates have bested Republicans in other seats that were considered competitive: Democrats will very likely remain in control of state government for at least the next two years.
Both Hinrichsen and Varela are military veterans and ran as moderate candidates.
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Hinrichsen campaigned on his legislative record during his abridged term after he was appointed to the position in February 2022, when he was a co-sponsor of legislation that expedited TABOR refunds, affirmed access to reproductive health care and delayed an increase to the gas tax.
Varela said that he was running on “Pueblo values,” reducing inflation and supporting law enforcement. He avoided publicly sharing his personal opinion on controversial issues, such as abortion rights.
The race attracted statewide attention and a massive influx of outside spending from some “dark money” organizations on both sides of the aisle that spent big on key Colorado Senate races around the state.
Varela and Hinrichsen raised similar amounts of cash, according to the latest reports filed at the end of October. Varela reported $146,361 in contributions, while Hinrichsen had $152,369.
The candidates never faced off in a public debate after Varela canceled his appearance in the only scheduled debate in early September.
Varela contended with two campaign finance complaints during his candidacy regarding a previous potential bid for county commissioner, which he said was false. The first complaint was dismissed in August and Colorado Secretary of State staff filed a motion to dismiss a follow-up September complaint.
Election Day 2022:Varela, Hinrichsen fight for Senate seat in one of Colorado's most competitive races
Hinrichsen publicly said he regretted a 2018 donation to a pro-life crisis pregnancy center in Pueblo, saying that his personal opinion about abortion access has changed after having conversations with women and medical professionals.
District 3 of the state Senate encompasses all of Pueblo County.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com or on Twitter, @annalynnfrey.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Hinrichsen declares victory over Varela in key Colorado Senate race
