Democrat John Hickenlooper to challenge Cory Gardner in Colorado Senate race

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper won the state's Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, and will face off against Sen. Cory Gardner (R) in November.

Hickenlooper, who briefly ran for president last year, defeated Andrew Romanoff, a former speaker of the Colorado House. In recent weeks, Hickenlooper was fined $3,000 after an independent ethics commission said he violated state law as governor by accepting rides on a private jet and limo, and was criticized for a comment he made in 2014 comparing elected officials to Roman slaves on ships.

Hillary Clinton won Colorado in 2016. Gardner is considered one of the GOP's most vulnerable senators, and Democrats are hoping Hickenlooper will flip the seat.

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