RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
Colorado is holding Republican and Democratic primaries today for a Senate seat. And the races point to the kind of elections we could be seeing nationwide in the fall. The races are expected to be close. And all the candidates, including the current senator, are trying to position themselves as outsiders.
For a closer look, we called on Jody Strogoff, editor and publisher of the Colorado Statesman, which is a weekly newspaper. She joined us from Denver, Colorado.
Good morning.
Ms. JODY STROGOFF (Editor and Publisher, Colorado Statesman): Good morning.
MONTAGNE: Why don't we begin with the Democrats? And I will say just one thing: In both the Democratic and the Republican primaries, where you might usually begin with two candidates anointed by their respective parties, here you have that. But in each primary, you have an outsider candidate coming in and appearing quite strong. So how does that work with the Democrats?
Ms. STROGOFF: That's correct. You've got an incumbent senator, Michael Bennet, who was either anointed or appointed - depending how you look at it - by our governor, who filled a vacancy by Ken Salazar, who went over to the Interior Department.
And he's been campaigning, basically, as an - as you said - an outsider against Washington, even though he has been the incumbent for a year and a half. On the other hand, you've got a popular former state speaker of the House, Andrew Romanoff, getting into the race late, and trying to position himself as the candidate of the progressive movement.
MONTAGNE: Many people may have heard about Andrew Romanoff when it emerged that the Obama administration offered him a job so that he couldn't challenge Mr. Bennet.
Ms. STROGOFF: That's correct. That's correct. And in fact, there was a lot of intrigue as to whether he had been offered a job - or had there been some kind of quid pro quo in case he got out of the race. President Obama has had a role in this race. He endorsed Bennet the day after Romanoff got in. Last week, he was on the phone to reporters, touting Bennet's accomplishments. He's made robocalls.
On the other hand, you've got Bill Clinton, a former president who's endorsed Andrew Romanoff, and has been instrumental in Romanoff's fundraising as well. So you've got a little bit of presidential politics playing out here in the state, in terms of the Democrats.
MONTAGNE: And tell us about the Republican race.
Ms. STROGOFF: You've got two candidates, again. Ken Buck, kind of an outsider, the D.A. in Colorado's 10th largest city, got in the race a year and a half ago, really early. Didn't catch on quite at first. Some more establishment Republicans encouraged Jane Norton, the former lieutenant governor, to get into the race.
This has been a race that's been marked by some - actually - nasty back and forth. Buck has come up from behind and is actually leading in the polls, and has been considered the underdog candidate, with a lot of Tea Party support.
MONTAGNE: Can you look outside Colorado and see the races there in Colorado as having any implications for races around the country?
Ms. STROGOFF: I think so. Colorado has always been considered a bellwether state, at least the last few years. And I think it's pivotal in the fact that it's one of the swing states in this election cycle. It could play a role in who controls the Senate. You've got candidates campaigning, as you said, against Washington, D.C. I think Colorado is playing on a national political field as well as here - just in the state - as well.
MONTAGNE: Thank you very much for joining us.
Ms. STROGOFF: My pleasure.
MONTAGNE: Jody Strogoff is the publisher and editor of the Colorado Statesman, a weekly political newspaper. She joined us from Denver.
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