Dwayne
L. Romero
Democratic nominee challenging Rep. Jeff Hurd in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District; West Point grad, Army veteran, and real estate executive
- sources
- 14
- positions
- 10
- endorsements
- 5
Background
Dwayne L. Romero is the 2026 Democratic nominee for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd. He is president and CEO of The Romero Group, a real estate company, and currently serves on the elected Snowmass Village Water and Sanitation District board. He resides in Snowmass Village, Colorado. 42522
Romero is a U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate (B.S. in engineering management) and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as a U.S. Army officer and Army Ranger-qualified veteran of the Persian Gulf War, and later worked in real estate development at Hines and Related Companies before co-founding The Romero Group. 224
He previously served two terms on Aspen City Council (2007–2011 and 2013–2015), two terms on the Aspen School District Board of Education (including as board president in 2019–2020), and on the Aspen Fire Protection District and Roaring Fork Transit Authority boards. In 2011, he served as executive director of Colorado's Office of Economic Development and International Trade under Gov. John Hickenlooper. 224
Romero won the Democratic primary on June 30, 2026, defeating fellow Aspenite Alex Kelloff. He was subsequently named to the national Democrats' Red to Blue program, signaling attention from national Democrats in the competitive district race. 14312
At a glance
- Party
- Democratic
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 3, Colorado
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- President and CEO, The Romero Group; member, Snowmass Village Water and Sanitation District board
- Website
- romeroforcolorado.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 6newsMail ballots begin going out to CD3 voters
County clerks began sending out mail ballots on Oct. 6, per KDNK's Oct. 7 report, marking the start of early voting for the Nov. 3 general election in which Romero is a candidate.
Congressional Candidate Visits New Castle · Oct 7, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 5endorsementDCCC adds Romero to its 'Red to Blue' program
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Romero to its top-tier 'Red to Blue' candidate-support program on Oct. 5, providing resources such as staff assistance, training, and fundraising support. The Colorado Sun noted the designation does not necessarily mean direct DCCC spending in the district.
Dwayne Romero Added to DCCC's Coveted 'Red to Blue ... · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 5newsFinance gap: Romero raised $716K vs. Hurd's $3.5M
A Summit Daily report citing the most recent campaign-finance filings showed Romero had raised $716,000 with $84,000 cash on hand, compared to Hurd's $3.5 million raised and $1.7 million cash on hand.
Jeff Hurd is defending his ‘independent’ record as he runs for reelection to Congress. His Democratic challenger disagrees. · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 3filingDenver Post voter guide lists Romero in District 3 general-election race
The Denver Post's 2026 voter guide listed Romero alongside Republican Jeff Hurd, Libertarian Cory Robertson, and unaffiliated candidate Clifton Brown in the CD3 general-election race.
The Denver Post's voter guide for the 2026 Colorado ... · Oct 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 2newsRomero outlines priorities on affordability, water, public lands, and dark money
In a candidate questionnaire published Oct. 2, Romero identified affordability, water and public lands, and accountability as priorities. He pledged to repeal tariffs, oppose public-lands transfers, support a path to citizenship alongside border security, and combat dark money in politics.
Congressional District 3: Hurd and Romero vie for Western ... · Oct 2, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 19debateRomero and Hurd debate at Club 20 in Grand Junction
Romero and incumbent Jeff Hurd debated at the Club 20 Western Colorado Candidate Debates at Colorado Mesa University's Asteria Theater in Grand Junction on Sept. 19. Local reporting described it as possibly their only debate of the election season.
Hurd, Romero debate as CD3 race heats up | Colorado ... · Sep 20, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jul 21pollInternal Romero campaign poll shows him one point behind Hurd
A Keating Research poll commissioned by Romero's campaign, conducted July 21–23 among 500 likely November voters, showed Romero trailing Republican incumbent Jeff Hurd by one percentage point, with 9% undecided and a 4.4-point margin of error. The Colorado Sun reported Romero released the poll over the summer.
Attention from national Democrats, Republicans signals ... · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jun 30filingRomero wins Democratic primary against Alex Kelloff
Dwayne Romero won the Democratic primary for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, defeating Alex Kelloff, according to the Denver Gazette.
Dwayne Romero Archives · Sep 26, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) unionLargest federal employee union announced endorsement of Romero along with three other Colorado congressional candidates. afge.org · Oct 7, 2026
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) organizationDCCC added Romero to its 'Red to Blue' program, offering strategic guidance, staff support, training, and fundraising assistance. This is a candidate-support designation rather than a personal endorsement. dccc.org · Oct 5, 2026
- Colorado WINS Political Committee unionColorado WINS endorsements page lists Romero under 'SEIU Colorado Federal Endorsements.' coloradowins.org · Oct 1, 2026
- SEIU Colorado unionSEIU Colorado's 2026 general-election voter guide lists Romero as its endorsed candidate for CO-03. seiu105.org · Sep 25, 2026
- Adam Frisch officialFormer Democratic nominee for CO-03; endorsed Romero at his campaign launch and provided fundraising assistance. Romero confirmed the official endorsement in an April 22, 2026 interview. coloradopolitics.com · Mar 6, 2026
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $717K
- Spent
- $632K
- Cash on hand
- $84K
As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6CO03253(opens in a new tab)
Sources 14
- [1] Congressional Candidate Visits New Castle(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
- [2] Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses 4 Candidates ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
- [3] Attention from national Democrats, Republicans signals ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
- [4] Dwayne Romero Added to DCCC's Coveted 'Red to Blue ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
- [5] Jeff Hurd is defending his ‘independent’ record as he runs for reelection to Congress. His Democratic challenger disagrees.(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
- [6] An interview with 3rd Congressional District Democratic candidate ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 4, 2026
- [7] The Denver Post's voter guide for the 2026 Colorado ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 3, 2026
- [8] Congressional District 3: Hurd and Romero vie for Western ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 2, 2026
- [9] Endorsements – Colorado WINS Political Committee(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
- [10] Dwayne Romero Archives(opens in a new tab) Sep 26, 2026
- [11] 2026 Election Voter Guide - SEIU Local 105(opens in a new tab) Sep 25, 2026
- [12] Hurd, Romero debate as CD3 race heats up | Colorado ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 20, 2026
- [13] Issues - Romero for Colorado(opens in a new tab) May 1, 2026
- [14] Democrat Dwayne Romero jumps in primary to challenge Republican Jeff Hurd in Colorado’s 3rd CD(opens in a new tab) Mar 6, 2026