The Associated Press called Colorado's 3rd Congressional District for Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd at 9:24 a.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026, handing the first-term incumbent a second term and the Republican Party its only House victory in Colorado this year. Jeff Hurd wins reelection with 163,655 votes to Democrat Dwayne Romero's 157,523, a margin of 6,132 votes that sits outside the state's 0.5 percent recount threshold, ending a race that stayed uncalled for three days after Election Day.

Key Points

• The Associated Press called the race for Hurd at 9:24 a.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026, with 163,655 votes (49.29 percent) to Romero's 157,523 (47.44 percent) and 612 of 643 precincts reporting.
• Romero, a U.S. Army veteran and Bronze Star recipient, led for most of election night before the lead changed hands overnight, and he conceded in a November 6 Instagram post.
• Hurd is the only Republican congressional candidate in Colorado to win in 2026, as Democrats swept the other seven House seats in the state.
• The 3rd District covers Colorado's Western Slope, Pueblo and the San Luis Valley, and a Democrat has not won the seat since John Salazar's reelection in 2008.
• The result remains unofficial until county canvasses certify it, with November 12 the deadline for military and overseas ballots and signature cures.

What Happened

The race was one of the last House contests in the country to be decided. Romero led for most of election night on Tuesday, November 3, at one point by more than 2,200 votes with about 88 percent counted, and he was still ahead by under 1,000 votes at midnight. But Hurd gained ground in every successive batch of ballots, driven in part by returns from Mesa County, and by Wednesday morning the Associated Press had the incumbent ahead 146,913 to 145,702, with 520 of 643 precincts reporting.

The count continued through Thursday, and on Friday morning the Associated Press made the formal call. With 95.18 percent of precincts reporting, Hurd held 49.29 percent of the vote to Romero's 47.44 percent, a lead of 6,132 votes on about 332,000 ballots counted. Because the margin is about 1.85 percent, well above Colorado's 0.5 percent automatic-recount line, no recount is triggered. Romero conceded later on Friday in an Instagram post, bringing the contest to a close.

Background

Colorado's 3rd District stretches across the western half of the state, taking in the Western Slope, the city of Pueblo and the San Luis Valley. It is a vast, largely rural seat that has voted Republican for nearly two decades, but the 2026 result showed how competitive it has become. Compared with the 2024 presidential result, the district shifted about 11 points toward Democrats, and Romero's strong showing reflected that movement even in defeat.

Hurd, a first-term incumbent, won the seat in 2024 and spent his first term building a profile as a Western Slope Republican focused on water, energy and public lands. Romero, challenging him as a political newcomer, leaned on his military service and his Bronze Star, and his campaign drew national attention as one of the closest House races of the cycle. The district last elected a Democrat in 2008, when John Salazar won reelection, and it has stayed in Republican hands ever since.

Jeff Hurd Wins Reelection: What the Numbers Show

The final figures tell the story of a race decided by late-counted ballots. Hurd finished with 163,655 votes, Romero with 157,523, a difference of 6,132 votes out of roughly 332,000 cast. With 612 of 643 precincts reporting, the count stood at 95.18 percent, and the remaining ballots were not enough to change the outcome.

The margin matters for more than the result itself. At about 1.85 percent, it is far outside Colorado's 0.5 percent threshold for an automatic recount, so the call is final barring a challenge. It is also one of the narrowest House margins in Colorado this cycle. For Hurd, the numbers confirm a second term; for Romero, they show a campaign that came within a few thousand votes of flipping a seat Democrats have chased since 2008.

Reactions and Quotes

As the count tilted his way on Wednesday, Hurd told supporters he remained "cautiously optimistic" about the outcome, a measured tone. His campaign waited for the Associated Press call on Friday before declaring victory.

Romero conceded on Friday in an Instagram post, acknowledging the result after three days of counting. His concession ended a campaign that had led on election night and kept the race uncalled longer than almost any other House contest in the country. Neither campaign has announced any further statement about the result, and no recount has been requested.

Why It Matters

Hurd's win matters because it is the only Republican success in Colorado's House delegation this year. Democrats won the other seven seats, including Jessica Killin's flip of the 5th District and Manny Rutinel's flip of the 8th, leaving Hurd as the lone Republican in the state's nine-member delegation. The result denies Democrats a clean sweep in a state where they also routed Republicans in the statewide midterm contests.

It also matters as a measure of the state's political direction. A district that shifted about 11 points toward Democrats produced a Republican win by under two points, suggesting the Western Slope remains competitive ground rather than safe territory for either party. For House Republicans nationally, holding the seat keeps one more vote in their column; for Colorado Democrats, the near-miss in the 3rd shows how close they came to a complete sweep.

What Happens Next

The results remain unofficial until county canvasses certify them, and November 12 is the deadline for military and overseas ballots and for voters to cure signature problems on their ballots. Once certification is complete, Hurd will be sworn in for his second term when the new Congress convenes in January 2027.

Attention will now turn to how Hurd uses his second term in a mostly Democratic delegation, and to whether Democrats try again in the 3rd District in 2028. For now, the race that stayed uncalled for three days is settled, and Colorado's House map for the next two years is complete.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Colorado's 3rd Congressional District?
Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd won reelection, defeating Democrat Dwayne Romero 163,655 votes to 157,523, a margin of 6,132 votes.

When was the race called?
The Associated Press called the race for Hurd at 9:24 a.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026, three days after Election Day.

Did Dwayne Romero concede?
Yes. Romero conceded in a November 6 Instagram post after the Associated Press call.

Why is this race significant?
Hurd is the only Republican to win a House seat in Colorado in 2026. Democrats won the other seven seats, including flips in the 5th and 8th Districts.

Are the results official?
Not yet. Results remain unofficial until certification, and November 12 is the deadline for military and overseas ballots and signature cures.

Related coverage: Jeff Hurd edges ahead of Dwayne Romero in uncalled Colorado 3rd District race | Manny Rutinel flips Colorado's 8th District, ousting Rep. Gabe Evans | Jessica Killin flips Colorado's 5th District, first Democrat to win the seat