The 2010 United States Senate election in Colorado took place on November 2, 2010, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. In December 2008, President-elect Barack Obama nominated incumbent U.S. Senator Ken Salazar as Secretary of the Interior. After Salazar resigned from his seat, Democratic governor Bill Ritter appointed Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet to fill the seat.
Bennet won a full term, defeating former state House speaker Andrew Romanoff in the Democratic primary, and Republican nominee Ken Buck in the general election. With a margin of 1.7%, this election was the second-closest race of the 2010 Senate election cycle after the concurrent one in Illinois.
Democratic primary
Candidates Nominee Michael Bennet, incumbent U.S. senator
Eliminated in primary Andrew Romanoff, former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives
Endorsements Bennet Congresswoman Diana DeGette U.S. Senator Russ Feingold Former U.S. Senator Gary Hart Congresswoman Betsy Markey President Barack Obama Congressman Ed Perlmutter Congressman Jared Polis Governor Bill Ritter Congressman John Salazar U.S. Senator Mark Udall
Romanoff Former president Bill Clinton
Polling Poll source Dates administered MichaelBennet AndrewRomanoff UndecidedThe Tarrance GroupThe Tarrance Group September 16–17, 2009 41% 27% 32%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling May 19, 2010 46% 31% 23%Survey USASurvey USA June 15–17, 2010 53% 36% 11%Survey USASurvey USA August 1, 2010 45% 48% 7%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling August 7–8, 2010 49% 43% 9%
Results
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Ken Buck, Weld County district attorney
Eliminated in primary Jane Norton, former lieutenant governor of Colorado
Eliminated in convention
Steve Barton Robert Greenheck Cleve Tidwell, businessman
Withdrew Tom Wiens, former state senator
Declined Bob Beauprez, former U.S. representative for Colorado's 7th congressional district Troy Eid, U.S. attorney for United States District Court for the District of Colorado Ryan Frazier, Aurora city councilman
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Dates administered KenBuck JaneNortonThe Tarrance Group September 16–17, 2009 15% 45%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling March 3, 2010 17% 34%MagellanMagellan March 14, 2010 13% 41%Magellan April 19, 2010 32% 29%Public Policy Polling May 19, 2010 26% 31%Magellan June 8, 2010 42% 32%Survey USASurvey USA June 15–17, 2010 53% 37%Public Opinion StrategiesPublic Opinion Strategies June 20–21, 2010 33% 39%Survey USA August 1, 2010 50% 41%Public Policy Polling August 7–8, 2010 43% 45%
Results
Libertarian primary Candidates
Nominee Mac Stringer
Eliminated in primary John Finger
Results
General election Candidates Major Michael Bennet (D), incumbent U.S. senator Ken Buck (R), Weld County DA
Minor Bob Kinsey (G)campaign site, archived November 4, 2010PVS Bruce E. Lohmiller (G) (write-in)Congress.org Charley Miller (I)campaign sitePVS J. Moromisato (I)campaign sitePVS Jason Napolitano (I)PVS Michele M. Newman (I) (write-in) Robert Rank (R) (write-in) YouTube campaign video Mac Stringer (L)campaign site PVS
Source:Official Candidate List
Campaign This was one of the most expensive elections in the nation, as more than $30 million was spent by outside organizations.[CO] Colorado Election 2010 Results [SENATE UPDATE] | CNM News Network Conservative third-party groups hammered Bennet for voting 92% of the time with the Democratic leadership, including voting for healthcare reform and the stimulus package.Buck for Congress (campaign website) Liberal third-party groups called Buck extremist. Bennet focused on attacking Buck's views on abortion, which he believed should be banned, including in cases of rape and incest. He was also attacked for wanting to eliminate the Seventeenth Amendment and refusing to prosecute an alleged rapist as Weld County district attorney. Planned Parenthood mounted a mail campaign, targeting women voters with the warning "Colorado women can't trust Ken Buck." Bennet won the women vote by 17 points according to exit polls. After the election, Buck conceded to the Denver Post that the main reason he lost was social issues.
Debates September 12: Sponsored by Club 20 in Grand Junction
Predictions Source Ranking As of Cook Political Report October 26, 2010 Inside Elections October 22, 2010 RealClearPolitics October 26, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 21, 2010 CQ Politics October 26, 2010
Polling Poll source Date(s) administered MichaelBennet (D) KenBuck (R)Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling April 17–19, 2009 40% 39%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling August 14–16, 2009 39% 35%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 9, 2009 43% 37%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports December 8, 2009 38% 42%Daily Kos/Research 2000Daily Kos/Research 2000 January 11–13, 2010 41% 38%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports January 13, 2010 38% 43%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports February 2, 2010 41% 45%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports March 2, 2010 38% 44%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling March 5–8, 2010 47% 40%Rasmussen Reports April 5, 2010 40% 44%Rasmussen Reports May 3, 2010 41% 48%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling May 19, 2010 45% 39%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports June 7, 2010 41% 46%Survey USA June 15–17, 2010 43% 46%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports July 8, 2010 39% 48%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports July 26, 2010 42% 48%Survey USASurvey USA August 1, 2010 43% 43%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling August 10, 2010 46% 43%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 11, 2010 41% 46%Ipsos/ReutersIpsos/Reuters August 20–22, 2010 40% 49%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 30, 2010 44% 47%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 14, 2010 45% 49%CNN/TimeCNN/Time September 17–21, 2010 44% 49%Rasmussen Reports September 27, 2010 43% 51%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 27, 2010 43% 51%McClatchy/MaristMcClatchy/Marist September 26–28, 2010 42% 50%Survey USASurvey USA September 28–30, 2010 43% 48%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling September 30 – October 2, 2010 46% 45%Rasmussen Reports October 14, 2010 45% 47%Fox News/Pulse Opinion ResearchFox News/Pulse Opinion Research October 16, 2010 45% 46%Ipsos/ReutersIpsos/Reuters October 18, 2010 45% 48%SurveyUSASurveyUSA October 19–21, 2010 47% 47%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 21–23, 2010 47% 47%Rasmussen Reports October 25, 2010 44% 48%CNN/Time/Opinion ResearchCNN/Time/Opinion Research October 20–26, 2010 46% 47%Marist CollegeMarist College October 26–28, 2010 45% 49%Fox News/Pulse Opinion Research October 30, 2010 46% 50%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 30–31, 2010 48% 49%
Fundraising
These totals reflect the campaign accounts of the candidates themselves, and do not include independent expenditures by other groups.
Candidate (party) Receipts Disbursements Cash on hand Debt Michael Bennet (D) $11,463,661 $10,698,578 $763,541 $887,692 Ken Buck (R) $3,827,432 $3,011,656 $1,039,994 $100,000 Source: Federal Election Commission
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Garfield (largest municipality: Glenwood Springs) Bent (largest city: Las Animas) Mineral (largest city: Creede) Rio Grande (largest city: Monte Vista) Archuleta (largest city: Pagosa Springs)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Chaffee (largest city: Salida) Ouray (largest city: Ouray)
Notes
References
External links Colorado Secretary of State - Elections Center U.S. Congress candidates for Colorado at Project Vote Smart Colorado U.S. Senate 2010 from OurCampaigns.com Campaign contributions from Open Secrets graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com Election 2010: Colorado Senate from Rasmussen Reports 2010 Colorado Senate Race from Real Clear Politics 2010 Colorado Senate Race from CQ Politics Race profile from The New York Times Collected news and commentary at Election 2010 at The Denver Post Debate Colorado Senate Republican Primary Debate on C-SPAN, July 23, 2010 Colorado Senate Debate on C-SPAN, September 11, 2010 Official campaign websites (archived) Steven Barton for U.S. Senate Michael Bennet for U.S. Senate incumbent Ken Buck for U.S. Senate Gary Kennedy for U.S. Senate Bob Kinsey for U.S. Senate Vincent Martinez for U.S. Senate Jane Norton for U.S. Senate Andrew Romanoff for U.S. Senate Cleve Tidwell for U.S. Senate Tom Wiens for U.S. Senate Michele M. Newman for U.S. Senate