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Sen. John Hickenlooper, GOP nom Mark Baisley face off in Senate debate
Despite that closer-than-expected race, Hickenlooper is heavily favored to cruise past Baisley in the Nov. 3 election.
Denver Post
Baisley
BaisleyUpdated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Democratic · 3 November 2026
John Hickenlooper
United States Senator from Colorado (since 2021)
Democratic U.S. senator from Colorado since 2021, former governor and Denver mayor, seeking a second Senate term against Republican Mark Baisley in 2026.
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Recent media coverage for John Hickenlooper.
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Hickenlooper debates Trump, healthcare with GOP challenger Baisley
A fixture in Colorado politics for more than two decades, Hickenlooper faces a challenge from Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley as he seeks a second six-year Senate term, which he has said will be his last.
Colorado NewslineBaisley -
Hickenlooper wants to expand Pell Grants but has no specific plan to pay for it
The general election is Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026. The incumbent, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D) faces state Sen. Mark Baisley (R) in the race for senate
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Hickenlooper regrets supporting Trump’s cabinet picks, says they made damage to Colorado worse
The general election is Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026. The incumbent, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D) faces state Sen. Mark Baisley (R) in the race for senate
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Baisley on the Republican Party's responsibility for cost of living in Colorado
The general election is Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026. The incumbent, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D) faces state Sen. Mark Baisley (R) in the race for senate
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Hickenlooper says Trump is to blame for rising cost of living in Colorado
The general election is Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026. The incumbent, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D) faces state Sen. Mark Baisley (R) in the race for senate
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- February 7, 1952
- Birthplace
- Narberth, Pennsylvania
- Education
- The Haverford School (graduated 1970)
Wesleyan University (B.A. in English, 1974)
Wesleyan University (master's degree in geology, 1980)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
John Wright Hickenlooper Jr. was born on February 7, 1952, in Narberth, Pennsylvania, and his mother raised him after his father died. After finishing The Haverford School in 1970, he earned two Wesleyan University degrees, a bachelor's in English (1974) and a master's in geology (1980).
He worked in Colorado as a petroleum geologist for Buckhorn Petroleum until 1986. In October 1988, with five partners, he opened the Wynkoop Brewing Company, one of the earliest brewpubs in the country.
Career
Hickenlooper won the 2003 election for mayor of Denver and took office in July 2003 as the city's 43rd mayor; voters reelected him in May 2007 with 88% of the vote.
In the 2010 race for governor of Colorado, after incumbent Bill Ritter chose to step down, he won the Democratic primary unopposed and took 51% of the general election vote, defeating Tom Tancredo and Dan Maes.
Sworn in on January 11, 2011, as the 42nd governor, he won a second term in 2014 over Republican Bob Beauprez with 49%. As governor he brought in universal background checks and a ban on high-capacity magazines after the 2012 Aurora shooting, and he expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
His governorship ended in January 2019.
Hickenlooper entered the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on March 4, 2019, and ended that campaign on August 15, 2019, before any primaries took place. He then ran for the U.S. Senate, defeating former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in the Democratic primary on June 30, 2020, and Republican incumbent Cory Gardner by 9 points in the general election. He took office on January 3, 2021, at 68, the oldest first-term senator Colorado had elected.
2026 race
Hickenlooper is seeking a second Senate term in the election of November 3, 2026; when he announced his reelection bid in late 2024, he said it would be his final Senate campaign. On June 30, 2026, he won the nomination over state senator Julie Gonzales with 52.8% of the vote. His Republican opponent is state senator Mark Baisley, who advanced to the primary unopposed through the Republican State Assembly.