Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) was re-elected, despite the unfavorable climate. Or perhaps thanks to it!Photo: Center for American ProgressCross-posted from the Wonk Room.
Colorado Republicans are going to need a bigger wave if they ever hope to wash away progressive gains and an entrenched commitment to clean energy in the Rocky Mountain state.
Victories by Democrats Michael Bennet in the U.S. Senate contest and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper in the governor’s race didn’t just buck the national GOP trend. They sent a strong signal to progressive candidates everywhere that support for the new energy economy and fighting global warming pollution are winning issues.
Though Democrats lost two House seats in Colorado held by Reps. Betsy Markey and John Salazar, and narrowly lost control of the legislature’s lower house, by winning the top two statewide offices and keeping control of the state senate, they demonstrated a resilience unusual in a dominant Republican year.
Bennet, appointed in 2009 to fill the Senate seat of Ken Salazar when he became Secretary of Interior, narrowly defeated Tea Party and Sarah Palin anointee Ken Buck,... Read more
