Last night’s GOP Senate primary debate in Colorado featured eight of the thirteen candidates from the circus that is the GOP primary field. The debate preceded this weekend’s State Assembly, where delegates will vote for a nominee. Given the activity, we thought it’d be a good time recap the latest in #cosen:
- In one of the few states they had to recruit candidates in, the NRSC failed miserably. FIVE of the GOP’s top-tier candidates passed on the race, leading to headlines like “Chaos in Colorado risks key Senate seat for GOP.”
- As the Wall Street Journal observed over the weekend: “While the Republican field vying to be the party’s presidential nominee has shrunk to a trio, the GOP Senate contenders in Colorado have ballooned to more than a dozen.”
- The primary battle will be long, messy and divisive. Even a former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party admits that “Whoever does limp across the finish line in the primary election in late June is going to be beaten up and broke.”
- All eight candidates who participated in last night’s debate pledged their allegiance to the #PartyofTrump when they all confirmed that they would support Trump if he is the GOP nominee.
- As Colorado’s Baker’s Dozen battles for the GOP nomination, Senator Michael Bennet continues to build a strong record of working across the aisle to fight for Coloradoans. He is in a strong position to win reelection, reporting $6.7 million cash on hand to start 2016.
“Colorado has been one of the biggest embarrassments of the cycle for national Republicans, and as the primary gets closer, it will only dissolve further into partisan infighting,” said Lauren Passalacqua, DSCC National Press Secretary. “Regardless of which reckless and out-of-touch candidate emerges from this messy primary battle, they will be damaged and ill-prepared to face a candidate as strong as Michael Bennet.”
