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2026 candidates we're tracking in CO-1
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Melat Kiros
Democratic
Kiros is an attorney and a doctoral student in public policy at the University of Denver, per the campaign site. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she moved to Denver as a child after her father was selected in the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery, per the campaign site. She studied political science and economics at Washington College in Maryland and earned her law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2022, then practiced at a law firm in New York City, per the campaign site. She is running as a Democratic Socialist on an affordability platform for Denver, per the campaign site.
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Christy Peterson
Republican
Christy Peterson is the Republican candidate for Colorado's 1st Congressional District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. The campaign organizes its platform around four themes: common sense, safety, the economy, and education, per campaign site (homepage). Peterson is the Republican candidate for Colorado's 1st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election, per campaign site (homepage). No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
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Critter Milton
Unity Party
Critter Milton is the Unity Party candidate for Colorado's 1st Congressional District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
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Chad Humphrey
Libertarian
Chad Humphrey is the Libertarian candidate for Colorado's 1st Congressional District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. Humphrey is a retired Marine officer and Operation Enduring Freedom veteran whose military service began in 1993, per Campaign site (liberty4the1st.com). Humphrey is a Denver-based technology entrepreneur and self-taught programmer with an MBA in finance and economics from Pepperdine University, per Campaign site (liberty4the1st.com).
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Shimon Blau
Unaffiliated
Shimon Blau is the Unaffiliated candidate for Colorado's 1st Congressional District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. Blau is a Denver doctor who qualified for the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate by gathering petition signatures, per The Colorado Sun. Blau launched his campaign in July 2026, later than the district's other candidates, per Colorado Politics. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
About this race
Colorado's 1st Congressional District elects one member of the U.S. House of Representatives to a two-year term. Every House seat in the country is on the ballot in 2026. The Colorado primary is Tuesday, June 30, 2026, and the general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.