Senator's Staff Threatened Days Before Shooting

Democrat keeps GOP from gaining another seat

(NEWSER) - Turns out, incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet wasn't premature in declaring himself the winner of Colorado's Senate race. After today's counting, there's no way GOP challenger Ken Buck can catch him, reports the AP . With 97% of returns in, he's got a lead of more than 15,000 votes. Buck, however, hasn't conceded yet. More»

But Tea Party upstart trumps establishment GOP

(NEWSER) - A collective, though small, sigh of relief could be heard in the White House after incumbent Michael Bennet's victory in a bitter primary battle for US senator in Colorado yesterday. But the picture was not so rosy for status quo Republicans as Tea Party insurgent Ken Buck beat out establishment GOP candidate Jane Norton in the Republican primary. The races reveal that upstart triumphs are far from a certainty, points out the New York Times, but that Republicans are more likely to stray from the establishment. More»

Obama crew wanted Romanoff out of race

(NEWSER) - Colorado Democrat Andrew Romanoff has confirmed that President Obama's deputy chief of staff suggested that 3 jobs would be open to him if he dropped out of the state's Senate race. Romanoff received an offer outlining the international development jobs after telling Jim Messina that he had no intention of dropping his challenge to White House-backed incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet, Politico reports. More»

These shaky Dem incumbents could be next to make the GOP's day

(NEWSER) - The decision by Indiana Senator Evan Bayh not to seek reelection has put 10 Democratic seats—and the majority—firmly in reach of Republicans in the upcoming election. Politico looks at 5 most likely to make the job easier for the GOP:

• Arkansas: Blanche Lincoln trailed a likely GOP challenger by an astounding 23 points in a recent poll, and even if she drops out there is no clear replacement.

Anxiety over recession, deficit quiets Obama supporters

(NEWSER) - Democrats won a huge symbolic victory by winning over conservative Colorado in last year's elections, but nervous state voters may be yearning for the GOP again, the Washington Post reports. Strategists are feeling it on the ground and incumbents in the halls of power: President Obama's supporters have grown quiet as anxiety seeps in over the recession and growing national deficit. "The slippage is there, and it's because things are tough and solutions aren't easy," a former Democratic governor says. More»