Sen. John Hickenlooper has won Colorado’s Democratic Senate primary in his bid for re-election, NBC News projects, defeating state Sen. Julie Gonzales in what the incumbent has said will likely be his final campaign for elected office.Hickenlooper, a 74-year-old former governor, Denver mayor and brewery owner who flipped the seat for Democrats in 2020, will be 80 years old by the end of his next term if he wins the general election, as he is favored to do in blue Colorado. Gonzales, a former Democratic Socialists of America member, said in her launch video, “John Hickenlooper has been in office for over 20 years. I know we’re not fooled by his so-called commonsense approach.” She spoke out against Hickenlooper’s Senate voting record, including votes to confirm 10 of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, and criticized him for opposing “Medicare for All” despite campaigning as a progressive.Hickenlooper defended his record throughout the campaign, arguing that his ability to work across party lines has helped him deliver for Colorado. This is not the first time Hickenlooper has faced — and defeated — a progressive challenger.In Hickenlooper’s 2020 campaign for his first Senate term, he defeated former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in the Democratic primary before going on to win the general election. The incumbent vastly out-raised and outspent Gonzales, with ads highlighting his efforts to oppose ICE funding and the sale of public lands. Hickenlooper also campaigned on protecting healthcare funding and working on affordability, as well as pushing back against the Trump administration. Gonzales’ campaign focused primarily on “Medicare for All,” abolishing ICE and guaranteeing universal childcare and eldercare. Gonzales also campaigned with commentator Hasan Piker, appearing on his livestream.Hickenlooper now advances to the general election to face state Sen. Mark Baisley, who was unopposed for his party’s nomination. Baisley had previously embarked on a run for governor before switching to run for the Senate. Democrats have sought to portray Baisley as too conservative for a Democratic-leaning state, pointing to comments he made last year when he described LGBTQ members in the state Legislature as being “in rebellion against the nature of God.”Colorado has trended increasingly Democratic in recent election cycles, and the state has not been part of the broader national discussions about the battleground in 2026.