2010 United States Senate election in Colorado

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

• President Barack Obama
• U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
• Congresswoman Diana DeGette
• Congressman Ed Perlmutter
• Congresswoman Betsy Markey
• U.S. Senator Mark Udall
• Congressman Jared Polis
• Congressman John Salazar
• Former U.S. Senator Gary Hart
• Governor Bill Ritter

Romanoff

• Former president Bill Clinton

Polling

Results

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Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Ken Buck, Weld County District Attorney

Eliminated in primary

• Jane Norton, former Lieutenant Governor of Colorado

Eliminated in convention

• Cleve Tidwell, businessman
• Robert Greenheck
• Steve Barton

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

• Jim DeMint, U.S. Senator
• Erick Erickson, blogger
• Tom Wiens, state senator According to her website:
• American Conservative Union
• Family Research Council
• Susan B. Anthony List
• Bill Owens, Governor
• Sarah Palin, former Governor
• William L. Armstrong, former U.S. Senator
• Hank Brown, former U.S. Senator
• Sam Brownback, U.S. Senator
• Tom Coburn, U.S. Senator
• Bob Beauprez, former U.S. Congressman
• John Suthers, State Attorney General
• Mark Hillman, former state treasurer
• Jan Brewer, Arizona Governor
• Wayne Allard, Former U.S. Senator
• Orrin Hatch, U.S. Senator
• Josh Penry, state senator
• United States Chamber of Commerce

Polling

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, 2010, PVS)
• Charley Miller (I) (campaign site, PVS)
• J. Moromisato (I) (campaign site, PVS)
• Jason Napolitano (I) (PVS)
• Mac Stringer (L) (campaign site , PVS)
• Bruce E. Lohmiller (G) (Write-in) (Congress.org)
• Michele M. Newman (I) (Write-in) (https://web.archive.org/web/20110208052209/http://newman-senate-co.com/)
• Robert Rank (R) (Write-in) (http://www.writeinrank.com/) campaign site, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNyYWBcALWE) YouTube campaign video 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. 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. Liberal third party groups called Buck extremist. Bennet focused on attacking Buck's views on abortion, which he believed should be banned including those of 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 that "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 why he lost is because of social issues.

Debates

• September 12: Sponsored by Club 20 in Grand Junction

Predictions

Polling

Fundraising

These totals reflect the campaign accounts of the candidates themselves, and do not include independent expenditures by other groups.

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

References

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