The Ballot Brief
Lincoln County, Colorado

Colorado Senate District 35

4 candidates are tracked for Colorado Senate District 35 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Rod Pelton, Duane L Gurule, Richard Graf and Travis Star Nelson. Candidate information follows official Lincoln County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Rod Pelton (Republican), Duane L Gurule (Democratic), Richard Graf (Libertarian), Travis Star Nelson (Unaffiliated) are on the November 3 ballot for Colorado Senate District 35; Rod Pelton is the sitting member, per the General Assembly roster (leg.colorado.gov). Major-party nominees were chosen at the June 30 primary; minor-party nominees by assembly or petition and unaffiliated candidates by petition. The field is the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Rod Pelton, is on the ballot.

Colorado › Lincoln County › Colorado Senate District 35

Rod Pelton

Republican Incumbent

Top priorities
  • Requiring state regulators to remove three existing regulations for every new one added
  • Raising reimbursement rates for small rural hospitals and encouraging urban-rural hospital partnerships
  • Securing a dedicated funding source for rural road and highway maintenance

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Rod Pelton is the Republican state senator for Senate District 35, covering 13 southeastern Colorado counties, per the Colorado General Assembly. He serves on the Agriculture & Natural Resources, Legislative Audit and State, Veterans, & Military Affairs committees, and sponsored 22 bills in the 2026 session on agriculture, water management, energy and local government, per the Colorado General Assembly.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Duane L Gurule

Democratic

Top priorities
  • Improve housing affordability and cost of living for rural residents
  • Address regional water resource challenges
  • Expand access to quality healthcare

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Duane L Gurule is the Democratic candidate for Colorado Senate District 35 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. Gurule is the current Mayor of Rocky Ford, works in technology, and founded a nonprofit organization, per Campaign site (guruleforcolorado.com). Gurule was raised in southeast Colorado and has spoken about experiencing housing instability as a child, per Campaign site (guruleforcolorado.com).

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Richard Graf

Libertarian

Biography

Richard Graf is the Libertarian candidate for Colorado Senate District 35 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. Graf is the Libertarian nominee for Colorado Senate District 35, representing southeast Colorado, per Libertarian Party of Colorado. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Travis Star Nelson

Unaffiliated

Top priorities
  • Improve healthcare access
  • Invest in infrastructure and school funding
  • Support job creation and higher wages

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Travis Star Nelson is the Unaffiliated candidate for Colorado Senate District 35 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. Nelson is a small business owner and family rancher based in Trinidad, Colorado, who describes himself as a 'Conservative Moderate' and 'Pro-Choice Christian.', per Campaign site (travisforcolorado.com). Nelson qualified for the November 2026 ballot as an unaffiliated candidate by submitting the required number of petition signatures, per Colorado Secretary of State.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
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Questions about this race

Who is running for Colorado Senate District 35 in 2026?

4 candidates are tracked for Colorado Senate District 35 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Rod Pelton, Duane L Gurule, Richard Graf and Travis Star Nelson. Candidate information follows official Lincoln County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Colorado Senate District 35 election in Colorado?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Colorado are on the Colorado election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Lincoln County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Lincoln County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Colorado election office, or see the full Lincoln County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Lincoln County ballot

2 tracked races in Lincoln County, Colorado. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

See all 2 Lincoln County races
Candidate profiles
Rod Pelton, full profileDuane L Gurule, full profileRichard Graf, full profileTravis Star Nelson, full profileOfficial Colorado election office