Democrats lead at the polls - Loachamin declares victory in Boulder County primary

*Editor's note; The following results are unofficial pending July 8 ballots to be added, including "reserve ballots for anonymity, manual process ballots, ballots that can be cured are added (signature discrepancies), and military/overseas ballots," according to county official Mircalla Wozniak. Official results are expected to be in by next week.

In light of the recent holiday, current events and even the recent release of Hamilton on Disney Plus, the very essence of what it means to be American has been at the forefront of the collective mind. One of the hallmarks of American culture is that of the right to vote. For Coloradoans, the 2020 Primary Election was June 30, and Boulder County residents voted for federal, state and local offices.

This year, two of the three county commissioner seats are open for Boulder County, and it's been somewhat competitive with five candidates ranging across two districts.

"The county government affects everybody," said District 1 Republican candidate Cinda Kochen. In an increasingly digital and news-heavy world, it's easy to forget this and focus on the bigger, state and national politics. But it's important to remember that it is often decisions made in the county that influence people's lives the most.

So, it is the commissioners' jobs, as District 1 Democratic candidate Claire Levy said "to act as a team, as the board of directors for the county."

The commissioner position is largely administrative in nature--it deals with some legislative aspects, as well as financial ones--such as determining the best ways to allocate the $439.9 million county budget to resources and programs. "We can set the stage for making sure there is real equity in our society," said District 2 Democratic candidate Jonathan Singer. "The county can really step up in making sure [everyone is] included and making sure there are more resources."

When looking at the numbers of the commissioner race, it's clear that the Democratic candidates had the upper hand. Between Districts 1 and 2, there were a total of 191,374 ballots cast for the commissioner race. Of those votes, 85.7% were for Democratic candidates, while 14.3% of Boulder County voters chose their Republican counterparts.

District 1's race was not nearly as tight as the race in District 2, which was largely due to the fact that neither Levy nor Kochen had to split the vote. Instead, it was a fairly clean split, with Levy having the clear majority. They will then directly oppose each other in the general election this November.

Levy said, "I am very gratified to have the support of voters in Boulder County and, if elected in November, look forward to serving alongside Matt and Marta."

Meanwhile, Kochen remarked, "I'm looking forward to the next four months of meeting with the other candidates. Since the county commissioners make the major decisions for the county, it's important for the voters to take the time to listen to how we each would move Boulder County forward."

However, in District 2, candidates Singer and Loachamin ran a tight race for the Democratic nominee. With only a difference of 4% (or 3,442 votes), Loachamin declared victory saying, "I believe that my life's work is connecting people of all walks of life to come together to solve problems...I am thrilled to be the Democratic Nominee for the November election in the District 2 Boulder County Commission race."

When looking at both sides of the District 2 race, Loachamin's win seems a lot greater compared to Republican candidate James Crowder. Crowder only won 13,730 votes, or 13.5% of all votes cast in that district, as compared to Loachamin's 44.9% of votes. These two will go head-to-head in the general election.

"I believe that as a commissioner it is (a) priority to know and hear from all residents," said Loachamin. "I will continue to meet with community groups virtually, to meet new folks and learn about community needs." She is already making plans to reach out to more Boulder County constituents and will resume online "office hours" on Mondays and Wednesdays" as one way to meet with and talk to voters.

The final unofficial results of the June 30 primary will be posted Thursday night.