Colorado Senate race: Democrats flip first Republican seat as they try to seize control of upper chamber
Democratic challenger John Hickenlooper is projected to beat Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Democratic challenger John Hickenlooper is projected to beat Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, bringing Democrats one step closer to taking control of the US Senate.
Polling showed Mr Hickenlooper leading the incumbent by 54.2 per cent to 43.8 per cent, according to the New York Times, and the Associated Press has projected a win for the Democratic challenger.
Mr Hickenlooper joined the Senate race after he dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race.
The Denver Democrat and former two-term governor targeted Mr Gardner in his campaign race for the senator’s close ties to President Donald Trump and position on healthcare.
Although Mr Hickenlooper’s senate win was big for the Democrats, it was not a surprise. He polled higher than Mr Gardner for a vast majority of the Senate race.
The loss for Mr Gardner comes after he narrowly won the Senate seat in 2014 against then-Democratic Senator Mark Udall by two points, turning the seat from red to blue. At the time, Mr Gardner ran on an anti-Obama platform.
But the political landscape of Colorado has changed in recent years, altering the state to a lean-Democrat pick-up in the presidential race. Hillary Clinton won the state in 2016 over President Donald Trump.
Mr Gardner’s ties to the sitting president did not help him in the Senate race, and the Associated Press has projected Colorado will be a pick up for former Vice President Joe Biden over Mr Trump.
This was the first win for Democrats on Election Day on their path to flip the Senate blue. The Democrats need to pick up four Senate seats, or three if Joe Biden wins the presidency, in order to take a majority in the Senate.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments