Colorado Races Show tumultuous U.S. Campaign Season

In 2008 the Democrats held their national convention in Denver as they sought an advantage in a swing state. Two years later the state remains untamed by either party.

The Aug. 10 Republican and Democratic U.S. Senate primaries offer evidence of the state’s unsettled politics. The Republican race pits a Tea Party favorite against a former lieutenant governor. The Democratic incumbent, Michael Bennet, faces a challenger, Andrew Romanoff, whom the White House tried to sideline by dangling a job possibility.

The Clinton and Obama brands also are squaring off in the Democratic contest, with the former president backing Romanoff and the current president supporting Bennet.

“The Republican side is very reflective of the national trend,” said Mike Stratton, a Denver-based Democratic political consultant. “The Democratic side is just an unfortunate cannibalism that only plays to the Republican advantage.” – More -