Gonzales Launches Bid to Unseat Hickenlooper

State Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, announced Monday she will challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper in the 2026 Democratic primary.

Calling herself an “insurgent progressive,” Gonzales criticized Hickenlooper’s moderate, “incrementalist” politics, citing his 2025 voting record in favor of nearly half of Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

Though Gonzales is the highest-profile challenger so far, she faces an uphill battle in her campaign against Hickenlooper, Colorado’s former governor and former mayor of Denver.

The winner of the June 30 Democratic Senate primary is heavily favored to win the general election in November. So far, no high-profile Republican candidate has announced a run for the seat.

Colorado’s Gas Prices 2nd-Lowest

The national average price of gasoline fell to $2.952 per gallon on Monday, dipping below the $3-per-gallon threshold for the first time since May 2021.

At $2.473 per gallon, Colorado had the second-lowest statewide average in the U.S., trailing only Oklahoma ($2.366). This marks the first time in over two years Colorado has ranked among the states with the cheapest gas.

Some stations in Denver have prices well below $2 this week, with a low of $1.67 at one Shell station. Business leaders attribute the state trend to increased competition driven by national chains.

Colorado’s prices hit a record high of nearly $5 in 2022, meaning they’ve fallen by about half. Here’s a map breaking down current prices by county.

Winter Arrives in High Country

Two to three feet of fresh snow fell in Colorado’s central and northern mountains over the weekend, bringing a much-needed boost to ski resorts after a slow, dry start to the season.

Aspen Mountain and Aspen Snowmass received 21 inches, allowing both to open top-to-bottom terrain. Aspen’s other two mountains, Highlands and Buttermilk, are slated to open Saturday.

Mount Zirkel, north of Steamboat Springs, reported the highest weekend total, recording 33.6 inches. Near Centennial, Wyoming—just north of the state line—more than 66 inches fell.

The heavy snow also brought elevated avalanche risk, worsened by high winds—Winter Park Resort recorded a peak gust of 104 mph.

More mountain snow is in the forecast this week, despite a general warming trend.

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➤ Statewide: The 2026 Colorado Business Economic Outlook, released Monday by CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, projects near-flat job growth, slowed migration, and a 2.9% GDP gain amid widespread economic uncertainty. (See Report)

➤ Grand Junction: Three students and one coach from the Central High School wrestling team, whose bus crashed in Lakewood Saturday, remained in the hospital Monday. Their conditions aren’t known. (More)

➤ Colorado Springs: A train collided with a car trying to cross the tracks south of a designated crossing near downtown Sunday night. No injuries were reported. (More)

➤ Castle Rock plans to build a new $21 million fire station and logistics center to meet emergency service demands in the rapidly growing area. (See Details)

➤ Teller County: Five orphaned bear cubs that have been at a wildlife rehabilitation center since last summer were released in the northwest and southeast parts of the county. (See Photos)

➤ Colorado Springs: The police department released a list of tips on how to avoid online holiday shopping scams. (See List)

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➤ Cherry Creek High School beat Ralston Valley 56-28 this weekend to win its sixth 5A football title of the last seven years. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Dakota Ridge won their first-ever 4A title with a 38-14 victory over Palmer Ridge. (More)

➤ The Rockies waived 23-year-old first baseman Warming Bernabel this week, pushing him into free agency. (More)

➤ Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders accounted for four touchdowns against the Titans on Sunday—by far his best game yet with the Cleveland Browns. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ The merger between Ent Credit Union, headquartered in Colorado Springs, and Minnesota-based Wings Credit Union was approved by Wings members in a Friday vote and will take effect Jan. 1, creating one of the largest credit unions in the nation. (See Details)

➤ The Original Roma, a Greeley pizza restaurant, will close on Dec. 30 after 38 years in business, citing a “constant battle” with the city and challenges posed by ongoing construction. (See Details)

➤ The Environmental Protection Agency cited Houston-based Enterprise Products for breaking federal rules while attempting to clean up last year’s 97,000-gallon gasoline spill near the Animas River in La Plata County. (See Details)

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➤ The Blue Light House, a holiday light attraction in Grand Junction, is open Fridays and Saturdays until Dec. 20 at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens. (See Details)

➤ A gravity-defying home designed and owned by rocket-scientist-turned-designer Daryl Maus is on the market for $2.7 million in the foothills north of Golden. (See Photos)

➤ More than 1,000 motorcyclists donated thousands of toys to Children’s Hospital Colorado during its 40th annual toy run Sunday. (See Details)

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Where do you do most of your holiday shopping?

1. Mostly online
2. Mostly in stores
3. A mix of both
4. I don’t holiday shop

Yesterday’s Results:

When did you stop believing in Santa?

1. Ages 7-10: 17%
2. I don’t remember: 15%
3. Ages 5-6: 15%
4. I still believe!: 14%
5. Ages 0-4: 13%
6. Age 10+: 13%
7. I never believed: 13%

Teller County is named after what historical figure?

Show me the answer