Tough Climb in Colorado Puts Bennet in a Tossup (from leans Dem)

CQ Politics ^ | 1/5/2010 | Greg Giroux

[markomalley]

The 2010 election year appears challenging for many elected Democratic senators from politically competitive states, with President Obama and the congressional Democratic majority challenged to persuade the public to back their expansive policy agenda.

And you can add an extra degree of difficulty for Colorado’s Michael Bennet , who will face voters less than two years after he was appointed to fill a Senate vacancy.

Bennet — who was plucked from relative political obscurity and is still not well-known throughout the state — has mediocre poll numbers and some determined would-be Republican challengers. These factors have prompted CQ Politics to change its rating on the Colorado Senate race to Tossup. That rating means there is no clear favorite in the race.

The previous rating was Leans Democratic, which denoted a slight advantage for Bennet in a highly competitive race.

Bennet was Denver’s school superintendent, and unknown to most Colorado voters, in January 2009 when Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. picked him to succeed Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar , who resigned to become Interior secretary in Obama’s administration.

Bennet appeared, at least initially, to benefit from a Democratic trend that over recent election cycles has seen the party capture the governorship, both U.S. Senate seats and majorities in the U.S. House delegation and state legislature, and help Obama carry the state for president in 2008. But Republicans argue that Colorado remains a swing state and are itching to try to prove their point in the November Senate election, which is for a full six-year term.

[Palmetto Patriot]

Another crack in the filibuster proof majority.

Any Conservatives considering a run for the office?

[keepitreal]

He was appointed by Gov. Ritter, who is also fighting for his political life, trailing his Republican challenger, Scott McInnis, by 8 points in the last Rasmussen poll. The fact that Bennet owes his job to an unpopular Ritter makes his retaining it that much more difficult.

[MileHi]

I hope he has a bloody primary.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Conservative former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, and she has led Bennett in every poll I’ve seen. http://janenortonforcolorado.com/

[colorado tanker]

Bennet does have a primary challenger, the former Speaker of the House who Ritter screwed to appoint Bennet. He's popular with Dem activists. That's the main reason Bennet had to give up his false front of being a moderate and tack back to the left.

[MileHi]

Romanoff (sp. Hope it gets nasty. I don’t think Andy boy can pull it off in a statewide race but he could bump Benny.

[colorado tanker]

Romanoff is off to a slow start, but given Bennet’s lack of name recognition and Colorado connections, a primary is really bad news for his reelection chances.

[MileHi]

Just so, but don’t shove Norton up my...

Well, you know.

[colorado tanker]

If Norton's the nominee, I'll support her any day of the week over Bennet.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Leans Dem ? Tossup ? What ? Bennet trails a ficus plant running as a Republican. This was a terrible choice for Auggie Ritter to have elevated to Senator, he should’ve picked one of the Dem Congressmembers, like Perlmutter (or even had himself appointed).

[Clintonfatigued]

Jane Norton does have some name I.D.- her husband was a well-known former U.S. Attorney who nearly defeated Tim Wirth in 1984 and Mike Skaggs in 1986 for Congress. I am of the opinion that Bill Ritter appointed Bennet because of his personal wealth, which would enable him to self-fund. The only question now is whether Bennet will actually do that.

[fieldmarshaldj]

It’s not even a given Bennet will win the nomination. Speaker Andrew Romanoff may beat him in the primary.

[colorado tanker]

I am of the opinion that Bill Ritter appointed Bennet because of his personal wealth, which would enable him to self-fund. The only question now is whether Bennet will actually do that.

He'd be a fool to squander it, IMHO. The polls are really bad and it seems national Democrats are ready to drop gobs of money here to try to hold the seat.