Unofficial election returns put state Sen. Lisa Cutter well ahead of Stephanie VandenBerg in the race for Jefferson County Commissioner District 3, with Cutter pulling 64% of the vote to VandenBerg’s roughly 36% as county officials worked through ballots Tuesday night. Jefferson County had counted about 220,400 votes as of 7:50 p.m., with the count expected to continue.
The tally, reported by the Denver Gazette, reflects unofficial results as ballots continued to be processed. Jefferson County’s own elections office had told residents that initial results for the 2026 General Election would be posted shortly after 7 p.m. on Tuesday, with additional updates rolling out roughly every two hours until counting wrapped for the night, according to the county’s Voter Turnout and Election Results page.
Cutter, a Jefferson County native who lives near Littleton, brings a lengthy resume in state government to the commissioner’s seat. She was first elected in 2018 to represent Colorado House District 25 before winning a state Senate seat representing District 20 in 2022, a district that includes Lakewood, Arvada, Dakota Ridge, Fairmount and Evergreen. Before entering politics, Cutter worked in public relations and owned her own PR firm, per the same Denver Gazette account.
Wildfire Readiness Tops Cutter's Agenda
Cutter told the Denver Gazette that getting ahead of wildfire preparations is one of her biggest priorities heading into the commissioner role. That focus has deep roots in her legislative record: in 2022, Cutter sponsored legislation directing the Colorado State Forest Service to form a working group and run an enhanced wildfire awareness campaign for 2023 and 2024, according to a Senate Democrats release.
That same release noted follow-up legislation, HB24-1024, would require the Colorado State Forest Service to continue its enhanced wildfire outreach campaign through 2027, while a companion measure, HB24-1006, would establish a grant program within the agency to help nonprofits assist rural communities in navigating state and federal wildfire-prevention funding. Both bills headed to the governor for signature after clearing the Senate, the release said.
VandenBerg's Background and the Housing Debate
VandenBerg, a certified public accountant and small-business owner, has been a Jefferson County resident since 2014. She did not return a candidate questionnaire from the Denver Post ahead of the election.
On housing, Cutter told the Denver Post she would support regulatory reform, including zoning changes, when necessary to open up options for greater density while preserving existing housing stock. She pointed to the county’s 15-year strategic housing plan, saying she would advocate for and participate in its full implementation. VandenBerg, for her part, has pointed to a 2023 Colorado environmental regulation requiring water heaters to meet a low-NOx standard, saying prices rose 30% as a result, per the earlier Gazette report.
Dahlkemper's Seat and a Statewide Ticket
Cutter is seeking to replace term-limited Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper, who was term-limited out of the District 3 seat this cycle. Dahlkemper instead ran as Phil Weiser’s running mate in the race for Colorado governor, and the pair defeated Republican challenger Victor Marx, with Weiser and Dahlkemper set to take office in January.
The 2022 race for the same commissioner seat offers a point of comparison. Incumbent Democrat Dahlkemper defeated Republican challenger Donald Rosier that year; a report published Nov. 8, 2022, by Colorado Community Media gave Dahlkemper 166,973 votes, or 58%, to Rosier’s 120,145 votes, or 42%, though the same outlet elsewhere described her margin as a 59% win.
Assessor's Race Also Favors Democrat
Elsewhere on the Jefferson County ballot, Democratic Commissioner Andy Kerr was leading Republican Vera King and independent candidate Greg Ketcham in the race for county assessor, pulling 61% of the vote as of 7:50 p.m. Tuesday, according to the unofficial count reported by the Denver Gazette. Should Kerr win that race, Jefferson County’s board of commissioners stands to lose another sitting member to a different county post.
