The #COpolitics 2018 hot seat: The House and the lay of the land

All 65 seats in the Colorado House of Representatives are up for reelection in 2018, but some contests are hotter than others.

Today, we’ll examine the big picture. We’ll dig into the details later in the week.

UPDATED with a few new candidates since Jan. 8, and the exit of one Grand Junction incumbent:

• There are 25 seats where incumbents are unchallenged. Of those, 17 are held by Democrats, 8 by Republicans.
• 26 incumbents are being challenged: 17 Republicans and nine Democrats.
• There are 14 open seats, with 10 currently held by Democrats and four by Republicans.

Democrats now hold a 37-28 advantage in the House.

Here’s a map  showing which incumbents hold the seat, registration numbers, the number of candidates running and the number of active voters:

Based on December 2017 voter registration:

• 18 districts are 40 percent or more Republican.
• 16 districts are 40 percent or more Democratic.
• In 23 districts, unaffiliated voters make up between 36 percent and 42 percent of active voters, outnumbering those of either party.
• Five others lean Republican while three lean toward Democrats.

In coming days, we’ll delve into more detail on what seats are really hot.