Colorado's 5th Senate district

Colorado's 5th State Senate district
From 2022 onward From 2012 to 2022
Senator	Marc Catlin R – Montrose
Registration	28.2%  Democratic 27.5%  Republican 42.7%  No party preference
Demographics	77%  White 1%  Black 19%  Hispanic 1%  Asian 1% Other
Population (2018)	146,776 [1]
Registered voters	109,461 [2]

Colorado's 5th Senate district is one of 35 districts in the Colorado Senate. It has been represented by Republican Marc Catlin since January 2025.

The district was previously represented by Republicans Perry Will, Bob Rankin, and Democrats Kerry Donovan, and Gail Schwartz. ^{[3] [4]}

Geography

Since being redrawn in 2021, District 5 covers all or parts of Montrose, Delta, Hinsdale, Gunnison, Pitkin, Garfield, and Eagle Counties. There are 22 incorporated cities and towns in the District including Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Crawford, Crested Butte, Delta, Glenwood Springs, Gunnison, Hotchkiss, Lake City, Marble, Montrose, Mt. Crested Butte, New Castle, Olathe, Orchard City, Paonia, Parachute, Pitkin, Rifle, Silt, and Snowmass Village. ^[5]

The entire Colorado Senate District 5 is within Colorado's 3rd congressional district. ^[6]

Before being redistricted in January 2022, District 5 was based in the mountain towns of the Rockies, covering all of Chaffee, Delta, Eagle, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Lake, and Pitkin Counties. Communities in the district include Vail, Avon, Basalt, Eagle, Gypsum, Minturn, Edwards, El Jebel, Eagle-Vail, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Leadville, Leadville North, Salida, Buena Vista, Gunnison, Crested Butte, Powderhorn, Delta, Cedaredge, Orchard City, Paonia, and Lake City. ^[7] Prior to 2022, the district was located primarily within Colorado's 3rd congressional district, also overlapping with the 2nd and 5th congressional districts.

Recent election results

Colorado state senators are elected to staggered four-year terms. The old 5th district held elections in midterm years, but the new district drawn following the 2020 Census will hold elections in presidential years.

Republican Perry Will was appointed to the senate seat by the Republican Vacancy Committee on January 7, 2023. ^[8] The seat was vacant because on December 1, 2022 then current senator Bob Rankin announced his intention to resign effective January 10, 2023. ^[9]

Former Senator Kerry Donovan was term-limited in 2022 regardless, but two Republican senators, Don Coram and Bob Rankin, live within the new boundaries of the 5th district. Coram, whose term ended in 2022, was unable to run for re-election because the seat wasn't up for election. Rankin represented the district beginning in January 2021 ^[10] and was therefore able to remain as the district Senator.

State Representative Marc Catlin was elected to represent the district in the 2024 Colorado Senate election.

2024

2024 Colorado Senate election, District 5 ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Marc Catlin	46,310	52.23
	Democratic	Cole Buerger	42,357	47.77
Total votes			88,667	100
	Republican hold

2018

2018 Colorado State Senate election, District 5 ^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Kerry Donovan (incumbent)	41,838	60.4
	Republican	Olen Lund	27,375	39.6
Total votes			69,213	100
	Democratic hold

2014

2014 Colorado State Senate election, District 5 ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Kerry Donovan	27,526	49.0
	Republican	Don Suppes	26,225	46.7
	Libertarian	Lee Mulcahy	2,374	4.2
Total votes			56,125	100
	Democratic hold

2010

2010 Colorado State Senate election, District 5 ^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gail Schwartz (incumbent)	26,355	51.5%
	Republican	Bob Rankin	25,269	48.5%
Total votes			51,624	100
	Democratic hold

2006

2006 Colorado State Senate election, District 5 ^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gail Schwartz	24,677	51.0%
	Republican	Lewis Entz (incumbent)	23,691	49.0%
Total votes			48,368	100
	Democratic gain from Republican

Federal and statewide results

Year	Office	Results [16]
2020	President	Biden 55.9 – 41.7%
2018	Governor	Polis 55.0 – 41.4%
2016	President	Clinton 48.5 – 43.5%
2014	Senate	Udall 48.3 – 46.5%
	Governor	Hickenlooper 51.3 – 43.9%
2012	President	Obama 51.0 – 46.5%

References

1. "State Senate District 5, CO". Census Reporter. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
2. "Total Registered Voters by State Senate District, Party, and Status" (PDF). Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
3. "Senator Kerry Donovan". Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
4. "Colorado State Senate District 5". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
5. "Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions Final Maps". coleg.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
6. "Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions". redistricting.colorado.gov. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
7. "Final Plans Approved by the Court". Colorado Redistricting - General Assembly. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
8. Staff Report (January 7, 2023). "Colorado GOP appoints Perry Will to fill 5th Senate District vacancy". www.postindependent.com. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
9. Birkeland, Megan Verlee,Bente. "Long-time GOP state Sen. Bob Rankin resigns". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
10. Evan Wyloge and Marianne Goodland (November 24, 2021). "With new state House and Senate maps, let the games begin". Colorado Politics. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
11. "Official Results". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
12. "2018 Abstract of Votes Cast" (PDF). Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
13. "2014 Abstract of Votes Cast" (PDF). Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
14. https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/pdf/2000-2099/2010AbstractBook.pdf.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
15. https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/pdf/2000-2099/2006AbsractBook.pdf.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
16. "Daily Kos Elections Statewide Results by LD". Daily Kos. Retrieved April 12, 2020.