Colorado Democratic Primary Results: Sanders Is Projected Winner

COLORADO — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is the projected winner in Colorado's Democratic presidential primary, both The Associated Press and NBC report.

Colorado is among more than a dozen states that were holding primaries Tuesday — and Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and billionaire Mike Bloomberg looked for a statewide win to propel them into the top tier in Super Tuesday’s overall results.

Sanders has around 36 percent of the Democratic vote in Colorado, while Bloomberg has 23 percent, Biden has 21 percent and Warren has 17 percent.

"We are taking on the political establishment," Sanders said at a Vermont rally on Super Tuesday. "But we are going to win because the people understand it is our campaign, our movement, that is best positioned to defeat Trump."

Super Tuesday Latest Results From Around The Country

Biden had won South Carolina's Democratic primary Saturday by a huge margin; with 81 percent of the vote counted, Biden had nearly 50 percent of the vote to 19 percent for Sanders. Billionaire Tom Steyer was a third place with 11 percent and announced Saturday night that his campaign was over.

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced Sunday that suspended his campaign, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota dropped out of the race Monday. Both then endorsed Biden.

Sanders went into the Colorado primary polling in the lead at 27 percent. Warren came in second at 15 percent, and Bloomberg and Biden each had 11 percent. Gabbard was at 1 percent. An earlier poll showed Sanders in the lead with 34 percent and Warren at 20 percent.

Read also: Super Tuesday Results: Bloomberg Now Part Of Sanders, Biden Race

Celeste Montoya, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, said the popularity of Sanders and Warren in Colorado has been driven by young people who are feeling "left behind" by the economic and political system.

"There is a growing sense of disillusionment with neoliberal policies. Both parties have been moving in this direction for the past several decades and away from social welfare policies,” Montoya said. “This includes not only the erosion of the safety net provided to those most vulnerable, but also those that work to provide equality in opportunity, such as public funding for education.

“Most of the economic crises experienced are the result of those policies and the younger generations are feeling this viscerally as they face where they are less likely to build a life better than what their parents had. They're are looking for an alternative from the politics as usual that has not worked out so well for them."

Montoya, who has a doctorate in political science, said it's important to clarify candidates' political views.

“What Sanders and Warren offer is a return to democratic socialism. This is not the same as communism. Whereas a liberal democracy values markets and ‘individual freedom’ above all else, even if it results in extreme inequality … social democracy works to balance individual freedom with social equality. It works to regulate but not replacing markets and allows for some redistribution of wealth so there is at least some minimum quality of life available to everyone."

More than 10,000 supporters came to the Colorado Convention Center Feb. 16 for a Sanders rally. The event was originally supposed to be held in the Bellco Theater, but had to be moved when more attendees RSVP'd than expected, Sanders' campaign said.

"Don't tell anybody, but I think we're gonna win here in Colorado!" Sanders said at the rally.

In his speech, Sanders said he wants to stop billionaires from buying elections. He said Bloomberg was bored and decided he wanted to be president. But of course, Sanders' main target was President Donald Trump, whom he called "the most dangerous president in modern history."

A Sanders rally was also held in September at Denver's Civic Center Park.

Thousands of people attended a rally for Warren on Feb. 23 in Denver at the Fillmore Auditorium — her second stop in Colorado during this campaign season. Warren began the rally outside the auditorium — speaking to several hundred people who couldn't make it inside. She was introduced by state Sen. Julie Gonzales (D-Denver).

Warren avoided criticism of Sanders but had no reservations about going after Bloomberg.

"We are not trading one arrogant billionaire for another," Warren said. "He is the riskiest nominee for the Democrats."

Warren did, however, say that Sanders' support of the filibuster would hold him back from "getting things done."

As of Monday, voters in Colorado already returned more than 1 million ballots in the lead-up to Super Tuesday, state elections officials said.

Voter turnout was high many counties, and it was getting a boost from 17-year-olds, who were able to vote on Super Tuesday if they will turn 18 years old by the general election Nov. 3, 2020.

Voters had to be registered as Democrat, Republican or Unaffiliated to participate in the election. Registered Democrats only received the Democratic Party ballot, and registered Republicans received only the Republican Party ballot. Unaffiliated voters were mailed both party ballots but could only vote and return one.

As of Monday, 37.3 percent of ballots returned came from Republican voters, 32.1 percent from Democratic voters and 30.6 percent from Unaffiliated voters, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office.

The Colorado Democratic Party and the Colorado GOP will use the results to determine how many delegates to send to the national conventions for each candidate. A total of 67 delegates are at stake in the Super Tuesday vote; however, the popular vote will only determine how 23 delegates are allocated. The rest will be determined by the results of the state's congressional districts.

Across the country, 1,357 pledged delegates will be determined by Super Tuesday, which is 34 percent of the total.

Committed delegates heading into Super Tuesday:

• Sanders: 58
• Biden: 50
• Buttigieg: 26
• Warren: 8

In a 2016 referendum, voters in Colorado decided to change the caucus system to a primary system. Those who pushed for the change were hoping it would result in a higher voter turnout. Caucuses will still be held in Colorado for precincts, but they won't determine the presidential race.

Super Tuesday is voting day for Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia Democratic and Democrats Abroad.

Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi and Washington state will be holding primaries March 10, and North Dakota will be caucusing. Primaries will be held March 17 in Arizona, Florida and Illinois.

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