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A progressive shift underway in Colorado Democratic politics is spotlighted Tuesday in the primary for a U.S. Senate race that will likely help decide control of the chamber.

The contest between former Gov. John Hickenlooper and former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff is the marquee race on Tuesday, but other themes are at play elsewhere, as voters also head to the polls in Utah and Oklahoma:

Here are five races to watch in the three states:

Senate (Democratic) — Hickenlooper vs. Romanoff

Colorado's shift left in the past several elections has given Democrats hope of taking over this seat from incumbent Republican Sen. Cory Gardner. It's one of the most critical states to Democrats' hopes of regaining control of the Senate.

Democrats thought they had a better-than-even-money chance of winning when Hickenlooper entered the race. But the centrist Democrat has hit a primary stumbling block against Romanoff. 

Romanoff has embraced the populist left, 

 cornerstone progressive policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, issues Hickenlooper disagrees with. That combined with Colorado's Democratic political shift from more moderate to progressive and multiple Hickenlooper miscues have made this a tighter race than most thought it would be.

, but Colorado's Independent Ethics Commission announced in early June that the former governor had 

 for accepting large gifts from corporations in 2018. And he has faced criticism on race. He mistakenly said George Floyd was fatally shot by police, rather than as a result of an officer's knee on his neck. And he said the Black Lives Matter movement meant "every life matters," an answer he 

, and Republicans think he'd be the easier opponent against Gardner, who has tacked to the center. 

3rd Congressional District (Republican and Democrat) 

Republican Rep. Scott Tipton, who's held his seat for just under a decade, is facing a primary challenge from businesswoman Lauren Boebert, a more 

 and owns a restaurant where the servers are allowed to openly carry guns. 

Boebert has criticized Tipton for supporting bipartisan legislation, including the first coronavirus aid bill, the CARES Act. That said, Tipton has President Donald Trump's backing and maintains a 

 over Boebert heading into Tuesday's contest. 

Two Democrats are also competing for Tipton's seat — former state Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush, who is looking for a rematch against Tipton, and businessman James Iacino — though the district is expected to 

. Trump won this district by 12 points in 2016. 

Governor's (Republican) — Tight race between Cox and Huntsman

The Republican primary, which will likely decide the governorship, is a close one. And former Gov. Huntsman is looking to make a comeback. But he faces current Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox. A recent 

 found the race a statistical dead heat, with Cox ahead 30 percent to 29 percent. Also on the ballot are former state House Speaker Greg Hughes and former state Republican party Chair Thomas Wright. Cox is currently leading Utah's COVID-19 task force and is 

facing criticism from the other candidates

 for the level of precaution he's taken, something he stands by. 

4th Congressional District (Republican) — Can Democrat McAdams be beaten?

Four GOP challengers are competing here with the goal of taking on Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams this fall. McAdams was elected in 2018 by a 

 and is the only Democrat representing Utah on the federal level. The Republicans running 

 from moderate to more conservative, and all 

 their Democratic opponent in fundraising. Former NFL player Burgess Owens led in 

 and maintains a slight fundraising edge among his Republican opponents.

The primary comes just three months after McAdams 

 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and went on to experience severe symptoms. "I'm young; I'm 45 years old; I'm healthy; I exercise every day, and it hit me really hard," he said in an April interview after recovering. 

This is a right-leaning district, but Trump's unpopularity in Utah, and with Mormons in particular, means the Republican who emerges from the primary won't be able to ride this president's coattails the way he or she might with a more traditional Republican at the top of the ticket. Even though Trump won this district by 7 points in 2016, McAdams is 

5th Congressional District (Republican) — Can Democrat Horn hold her seat?

, Democratic Rep. Kendra Horn faces a tough reelection campaign and is one of Republicans' top targets. The district has 

 with Horn's win being the first Democratic victory in decades. Horn does have a large fundraising lead compared to her Republican opponents, raising more than $3 million. 

State Sen. Stephanie Bice holds the highest fundraising out of the Republicans, raising more than $1 million. Bice has been 

 by rising GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who received national attention for her role pushing back against Democrats during the impeachment inquiry. But Bice is facing some opposition from at least one fiscal conservative group. She was outraged 

attacking her for voting for a tax increase, but that ad showed her picture on screen with convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, who, the ad claims, benefited from her policies.  

Politics and Government News

Election 2020

Domenico Montanaro

Author

Elena Moore

The Colorado U.S. Senate Democratic primary is Tuesday's marquee contest. Also notable: Former Gov. Jon Huntsman is looking to make a comeback in Utah.

Tuesday's primaries: 5 races to watch in Colorado, Utah and Oklahoma

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