CO-SEN

Republican Ken Buck Concedes Colorado Senate Race

Eric Lach | November 4, 2010, 9:30AM

Ken Buck

Republican Ken Buck has conceded the Colorado Senate race, ending a close contest that many expected him to win, and clearing the way for Sen. Michael Bennet to return to Washington, D.C. for a full term.

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CO-SEN

AP Declares Sen. Bennet The Winner In Colorado

Eric Lach | November 3, 2010, 4:31PM

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)

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.

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2010 elections

Here We Go...: 2010's Recounts, Write-Ins And Disputed Elections

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2010, 2:42PM

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Joe Miller and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Here's a quick update on the statewide races that may or may not be seeing recounts, election contests, graphology examinations, Brooks Brothers riots, etc.:

• In the Alaska Senate race, it's not a recount so much as a protracted and unusual vote count -- it could take weeks to sort through the 41% of ballots that were write-in votes, to determine how many them constitute valid, legal votes for incumbent GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowsi against Republican nominee Joe Miller.

• In the Connecticut gubernatorial race, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz (D) has declared that Democrat Dan Malloy will win the race, without a recount. Republican Tom Foley is not conceding, maintaining that his campaign's internal numbers have them on track for a 2,000-vote win.

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CO-SEN

Dem Sen. Bennet Declares Victory in Colorado

Eric Lach | November 3, 2010, 1:25PM

Michael Bennet

There are still votes to count, and the tally remains close. But Sen. Michael Bennet is declaring victory over Republican Ken Buck in the Colorado Senate race.

With 2,884 of 3,246 precincts reporting, Bennet leads 47.72%-46.81%. The Denver Post and 9News have both declared Bennet the winner, though the Post notes that if the final vote totals are within .5% of each other, an automatic recount will be required.

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2010 elections

No Calls In AK, CO And WA: The Latest On The Senate Numbers

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2010, 8:49AM

Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate race in Colorado Ken Buck and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)

With Harry Reid's victory in Nevada, Democrats have kept control of the Senate. But how narrow will their majority be? As things stand now, Democrats have 49 seats, Republicans 46, and two independents who caucus with the Dems. Let's take a look at the three outstanding Senate results:

• In Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reports, things are looking good for incumbent Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski in her write-in bid against Tea Party-backed (and Sarah Palin-backed) attorney Joe Miller -- but it's far from over. The total write-in votes lead Miller by a margin of 41%-34%. This could now go to court over the scrutinizing of all those write-in ballots, which must be sorted to find how well the voter spelled out "Lisa Murkowski," and determining what ranges of error are permissible:

Alaska's computerized voting system shows how many voters filled in the oval for a write-in candidate but not the actual name the voter wrote in. The write-in ballots are only opened to look at the name if there are more of them than votes for the leading candidate, or if the number of write-in ballots is within .5 percent of the frontrunner.

That count would begin Nov. 18 and be expected to last three days. The campaigns have been getting ready for the court challenges over "voter intent" that would be expected to follow. Minor misspellings are probably OK but simply writing "Lisa M,"; for example, could be a problem.

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2010 elections

Senate In The Balance: TPM's Look At The 9 Key Races Still Up For Grabs

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2010, 5:06PM

Clockwise from top left: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)

As we head into Election Day, one thing is clear for Senate Democrats: It's going to be bad. Seriously. There's no going anywhere but down. But how far down?

It's unlikely that Democrats will manage to lose their majority outright, since they're starting at the high mark of 59 seats. But things sure look rough. Open seats in Indiana and North Dakota seem to be gone already, along with incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas. Republican seats that seemed like potential Dem pickups much earlier in the cycle -- North Carolina and open seats in Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Ohio -- are clearly out of reach.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Stranger Than Fiction? TPM Casts The 2010 Midterms Movie]

The few bright spots for Democrats are open seats in Connecticut and Delaware, where very weak Republican candidates Linda McMahon and Christine O'Donnell have spared the Dems from total humiliation. So with that in mind, let's take a look at some other key races to watch tomorrow.

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CO-SEN

Fox News Poll: Buck Leads CO-SEN By 4 Points

Eric Lach | November 1, 2010, 12:42PM

Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate race in Colorado Ken Buck and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)

A new Fox News poll of the Colorado Senate race shows Republican Ken Buck with a four-point lead over Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, 50%-46%.

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CO-SEN

PPP Poll: Yup, CO-SEN Is Real Close

Eric Lach | November 1, 2010, 9:53AM

Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate race in Colorado Ken Buck and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)

A new PPP Poll of the Colorado Senate race shows Republican Ken Buck with a one-point lead over Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, 49%-48%.

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