The AP has declared Sen. Michael Bennet the winner of the Colorado Senate race, hours after Bennet held a victory press conference. The Denver Post and 9News had previously called the race for the Democrat.
Bennet had been written off by some after he struggled to win the party primary in August. He faced a strong challenge from Republican Ken Buck, who was backed by Tea Party members, and Bennet appeared destined to become one of this cycle’s Democratic casualties. But in the end, helped by a series of gaffes committed by Buck, Bennet managed to pull it out.
With 3,156 of 3,246 precincts reporting, Bennet leads Buck 47.73%-46.80%.
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At his victory news conference earlier, Bennet said it “would be a mistake” to see the close outcome of the race as proof that “Coloradans are deeply divided.”
Read TPM’s full write-up of the race here.
Eric Lach
Eric Lach is a reporter for TPM. From 2010 to 2011, he was a news writer in charge of the website’s front page. He has previously written for The Daily, NewYorker.com, GlobalPost and other publications. He can be reached at ericl(at)talkingpoitnsmemo.com
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