Colorado Democrats were bracing for the possibility that they would lose seats in the state legislature on Election Day. Instead, the party expanded its already sizable majorities in the House and Senate.

Democratic candidates flipped districts held by the GOP from Colorado Springs to Loveland to the Roaring Fork Valley, unseating Republican incumbents – including a representative expected to lead the House GOP caucus – and winning in areas considered conservative strongholds.

Some of the upsets can be attributed to last year’s once-in-a-decade redistricting process. Others are simply the result of Democrats winning in areas of the state that have backed Republicans in recent election cycles.

It appears some of the wins were surprises for both parties.

A Colorado Sun analysis of political groups’ spending in state legislative contests showed that only one of the eight flipped House and Senate seats was the target of significant money. Another, House District 43 in Douglas County, which was supposed to favor the GOP by 7 percentage points, saw no outside spending at all.

Votes are still being tabulated, and county clerks have until Friday to count all cured and overseas and military ballots, but all of the close Colorado House races have been called in Democrats’ favor.

Because of the wins Democrats will have a 46-19 supermajority that will allow them to override vetoes without Republicans, as well as refer measures making constitutional changes to the ballot. That’s an increase of five seats over their current 41-24 majority in the chamber.

Here are the five House seats that flipped from Republicans to Democrats:

One of the most notable seat flips happened in House District 19 based in Erie, where Republican Rep. Dan Woog lost to Democrat Jennifer Parenti in a district that leans 2 percentage points in the GOP’s favor.

Parenti’s victory – she was winning by 3 percentage points Tuesday morning – is ironic because Democratic Rep. Tracey Bernett, of Boulder County, changed her address to avoid running against Woog in House District 19, which was considered a Republican-leaning tossup. Her Longmont home was drawn into District 19 and out of House District 12, which she currently represents.

Bernett changed her address to a Louisville apartment to run again this year in District 12, which leans heavily in Democrats’ favor. Earlier this month, Boulder County prosecutors charged her with three felonies and two misdemeanors stemming from allegations that she never really moved into the apartment.

The Colorado Sun asked Bernett last week if she plans to continue serving in the statehouse given the allegations. She pulled a tiny piece of paper from her wallet and appeared to read from it – “I have counsel that’s handling this for me. I cannot comment.” – before walking away.

In the Senate, Democrats will have a 23-12 advantage, one vote short of a supermajority, after Democrats flipped three districts from the GOP.

Democrat Janice Marchman, a former school board member, beat Republican Sen. Rob Woodward, of Loveland, in Senate District 15, which spans from Loveland across western Boulder and Larimer counties, including the towns of Estes Park, Nederland, Lyons and Eldorado Springs. She was winning by nearly 1,000 votes on Tuesday morning in the district that was considered a total tossup – neither party held an advantage heading into Election Day.

Democratic Rep. Dylan Roberts beat out former Eagle Town Councilman Matt Solomon in Senate District 8 in northwest Colorado, which is currently represented by Republican Sen. Bob Rankin. Rankin was drawn into

The new District 8 leans 7 percentage points in Democrats’ favor. Roberts was winning as of Tuesday morning by 12 percentage points.

The Marchman-Woodward and Roberts-Solomon races were considered two of seven competitive state Senate contests this year. Democrats needed to win two to keep their majority – which is currently 21-14 – in the chamber. Instead, Democrats won all seven.

Another district that Democrats won on Election Day was District 11 in Colorado Springs. It’s currently represented by Democratic state Sen. Pete Lee, who wasn’t seeking reelection. State Rep. Tony Exum won in the district on Nov. 8, beating Republican Sen. Dennis Hisey, who moved into the district after he couldn’t run in his old district – District 2 – because of redistricting.

District 5 as part of the redistricting process but isn’t up for reelection until 2024.

Democratic Sen. Faith Winter won on Nov. 8 in Colorado Senate District 25, which was redrawn during the redistricting process and centers on Broomfield, Westminster and Northglenn. She currently represents District 24. Right now, District 25 is represented by Sen. Kevin Priola, a Henderson Democrat who recently switched his party affiliation from Republican, giving Democrats another seat in the chamber.

Priola was drawn into District 13 during the redistricting process. The GOP-leaning seat is up for grabs in 2024 because Priola is term limited.

Republicans actually flipped one district blue. That was Senate District 4, Story’s old seat, where GOP Rep. Mark Baisley won on Election Day over Democrat Jeff Ravage. As we mentioned before, the district’s boundaries were redrawn last year to lean about 24 percentage points in the GOP’s favor. It spans from southwest Jefferson County into Park, Lake, Chaffee, Fremont, Teller and Custer counties.

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to covering Colorado issues. To learn more, go to coloradosun.com.