Wanda James takes slight lead in University of Colorado Regents District 1 race
Wanda James took a slight lead over Johnnie Nguyen on Wednesday in the District 1 race for a seat on the University of Colorado’s Board of Regents, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
James trailed Nguyen when election officials began reporting results on Tuesday night, but she now leads by 587 votes — or 1.5 percentage points as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The Secretary of State’s Office will hold a recount if a candidate’s victory margin is lower or equal to .005%. In this case, 185 votes.
The winner of the Democratic nomination will face Republican Amy Naes in November’s general election. Naes was unopposed in the Republican primary.
District 1 represents all of Denver County and part of Arapahoe and Jefferson counties. The seat is now held by John “Jack” Kroll, who announced last year that he would not seek reelection so that he could spend more time with his family.
James, a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, previously told The Denver Gazette that she would focus on ensuring a path for student graduation and ensuring a diverse student body and inclusive faculty and administration.
“I want to continue CU’s nationally known legacy of excellence and ensure every student has the opportunity to learn from voices that enrich their areas of focus,” James said.