Obama Boosted By Bennet Victory In Colorado Senate Primary
In what has proven to be a test of the White House’s influence among Democrats. U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, who was supported by President Barack Obama, won his party’s nomination in Colorado yesterday.
Bennet, 45, staved off competition from feisty former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, 43, who was backed by former President Bill Clinton. The result has bucked a torrent of anti-incumbent fervour, and has shown that President Obama still carries electoral influence.
In November’s General Election, Bennet will compete against Republican Ken Buck, 51, a favourite among Tea Party Activists. Political observers believe that running against Buck, who gained victory over establishment candidate Jane Norton, gives the Democrats a better chance of retaining the seat, as they’ll be running against a more conservative candidate.
Robert D. Loevy, a political science professor at Colorado College, said, “That really jeopardizes a seat the Republicans otherwise would have had a real shot at. The race appears to me to be a contest between a more middle-of-the-road Democrat and more right wing Republican, and that tends to favour the Democrats in Colorado.”
Bennet’s victory proved a welcome political victory in Colorado for Obama, who campaigned, filmed television adverts and even recorded phone calls on Bennet’s behalf. Obama won the state by eight percentage points over Republican John McCain in 2008.
Romanoff sold his house to pay for a hard-hitting final round of anti-Bennet TV ads. He embraced the role of outsider and claimed he would be a better advocate for Colorado. Former President Bill Clinton had recorded phone calls on behalf of Romanoff.
Connecticut, Georgia and Minnesota also held nominating contests yesterday.
In Georgia, Nathan Deal narrowly led Karen Handel in the Republican runoff for governor with nearly all precincts reporting. Handel was endorsed by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
Wealthy former WWE Chief Executive Officer Linda McMahon easily won the Republican Senate nomination in Connecticut, defeating former US Representative Rob Simmons. She will now face Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Both will now compete to replace long-standing Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat who’s stepping down after 30 years in the Senate.
McMahon comfortably won the Republican Senate nomination after she poured millions of her own dollars into the race. She promises to spend up to $50 million of her own money on the election. Democrats have said that her wrestling past would be a fundamental subject in the November race to replace Dodd.
After her victory, Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, head of the Senate campaign committee, said, “As the former WWE CEO, McMahon built an empire peddling violent, sexually explicit material that glorified the exploitation of women, and the mentally disabled.”
In the Democratic gubernatorial race, former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy beat businessman Ned Lamont, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2006. Lamont had been leading in the most recent polls. Meanwhile, Tom Foley won the Republican nomination for governor in a three candidate race.
