Democrats remain in control of the Colorado Senate, but one race that was still too close to call today will decide whether they add to their majority.
Democrats had held a 20-15 majority in the upper chamber, and they held onto one seat targeted by Republicans, winning it with the election of Democrat Evie Hudak of Westminster, while losing a race in which they targeted incumbent Republican Sen. Shawn Mitchell of Broomfield.
But in Senate District 26, which Democrats targeted after Republican Steve Ward of Littleton decided to run for Congress, Democrat Linda Newell and Republican Lauri Clapp were so close that a recount might be necessary.
With all 96 precincts reporting in Arapahoe County, Clapp was leading Newell 50.06 percent to 49.94 percent, or by a margin of just 69 votes of 56,213 cast. However, Arapahoe County Clerk Nancy Doty said there were about 10,000 mail-in ballots that still needed to be counted, of which 3,400 were ballots that would have to be duplicated by hand because they were unreadable by machines.
Doty said that could take until today. Then, there are as many as 7,500 provisional ballots that still must be counted, she said.
If the counting shows the race is within half a percent, the law requires an automatic recount.
In Jefferson County, where just one precinct in the district lies, Clapp was leading Newell 96-71 votes.
“I’m very confident we’re going to win this,” said Clapp, 45, a former state representative.
Newell, 51, a business consultant, also expressed confidence that she could win in the historically Republican district.
“Nobody thought I could get this far,” Newell said.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
