Upset Brief · CO-03 · Dwayne L. Romero (D) vs. Jeff Hurd (R), incumbent
Romero gets within 959 votes on campaign work alone. A 0.3-point national shift finishes it.
29%
odds today
48%
odds with the plan
12,661
net votes to find
37
days left; voting starts October 2
Where
- 01+100Precinct 3055826005 (Gunnison County)Starting line Romero +61. 4.2% split their ticket. About 278 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 02+89Precinct 3055723003 (Garfield County)Starting line Romero +47. 4.5% split their ticket. About 329 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 03+88Precinct 3065934030 (La Plata County)Starting line Romero +56. 5.2% split their ticket. About 269 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 04+87Precinct 3055723002 (Garfield County)Starting line Romero +62. 5.3% split their ticket. About 187 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 05+86Precinct 3065857001 (San Miguel County)Starting line Romero +70. 4.5% split their ticket. About 213 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 06+83Precinct 3055723001 (Garfield County)Starting line Romero +63. 4.6% split their ticket. About 234 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
The top 12 precincts carry 8% of the plan.
How
- P+7,692Persuade7,692 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Hurd today.
- M+2,705MobilizeAt least 23,782 people who voted in 2024 but not in 2022, in precincts where Romero's side wins at least 55 percent.
- C+1,305ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the precincts that lean Romero's way.
Plus a national shift of 0.3 points of margin (959 votes) that no campaign controls.
What has to be true
- Romero wins 50 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Hurd.
- In Precinct 3055826005 (Gunnison County) and Precinct 3055723003 (Garfield County), 35 percent of the people who voted in 2024 but skipped 2022 come back and vote.
- The national environment moves about 0.3 points toward Romero's side between now and November 3.
- Published 2026 polls do not set the starting line here (every usable one is sponsored by one side), so it is a weighted blend of official recent results; an independent head-to-head poll would move it.
The numbers behind it
- 01Crossover regression477 precincts, R² 0.984, 56 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -40,298 to 38,059 votes.
- 03Money, FEC candidate totals through June 30Romero $84,208 cash on hand; Hurd $1,760,849.
- 04Call program for this list29,598 households, 88,793 dials, about 4,653 live conversations: an estimated $9,898 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official Colorado Secretary of State precinct returns (2022 and 2024), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 26, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.