Tea Party-backed Candidate Wins In Colorado

From The Hill ~ Prosecutor Ken Buck eked out a win in Colorado's Republican Senate primary Tuesday over former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton.

The AP declared Buck the winner. Buck won with 52 percent of the vote to Norton's 48 percent.

Buck will face Sen. Michael Bennet (D) in November.

The primary was too close to call heading into Election Day and it's one that will be remembered for some of the nastiest and most personal attacks of the primary season thus far.

Norton started off as the frontrunner courtesy of her support from Republicans in Washington and backing from the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee.

But in a cycle that has repeatedly punished candidates with insider status, that support became a negative as Buck started hammering Norton as the establishment pick.

His support, meanwhile, came largely from conservative and Tea Party activists as the establishment line caught on with GOP primary voters. But far from hiding behind her cash advantage, Norton went right after Buck's strength and hit him with several negative TV ads.

After Buck was caught on tape calling those who questioned whether President Obama was born in the U.S. "dumbasses," Norton hit him for "insulting" members of the Tea Party.

Share |