United States Senate elections in Colorado, 2014

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U.S. Senate, Colorado General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngCory Gardner 48.2% 983,891
     Democratic Mark Udall Incumbent 46.3% 944,203
     Libertarian Gaylon Kent 2.6% 52,876
     Independent Steve Shogan 1.4% 29,472
     Independent Raul Acosta 1.2% 24,151
     Unity Party of Colorado Bill Hammons 0.3% 6,427
Total Votes 2,041,020
Source: Colorado Secretary of State



CongressLogo.png

2014 U.S. Senate Elections in Colorado

General Election Date
November 4, 2014

Primary Date
June 24, 2014

November 4 Election Winner:
Cory Gardner Republican Party
Incumbent prior to election:
Mark Udall Democratic Party
Mark Udall.jpg

Race Ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss Up[1]

Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss Up[2]


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2014 U.S. House Elections

Flag of Colorado.png

Voters in Colorado elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the election on November 4, 2014.

Representative Cory Gardner won election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. He defeated incumbent Mark Udall (D) to win the seat.[3]

Udall was vulnerable in 2014. This was partially due to the unpopularity of the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, he faced a legitimate Republican challenger in U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner. Polling heading into the election showed a tight race with Gardner appearing to have a slight edge.[4] Udall did hold a significant edge over Gardner in fundraising throughout the race, however.[5][6]

Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the race as a "Toss Up."[7][8]

Candidate Filing Deadline Primary Election General Election
March 31, 2014
June 24, 2014
November 4, 2014

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election.

Colorado utilizes a semi-closed primary system. According to Section 1-7-201 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, " An eligible unaffiliated elector, including a preregistrant who is eligible under section 1-2-101 (2)(c), is entitled to vote in the primary election of a major political party without affiliating with that political party."[9][10][11]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Voter registration: Voters were able to register to vote in the primary by either June 2 (by mail, at a voter registration agency, voter registration drive or DMV), June 16 (online) or on election day (in-person at a voter service polling center). For the general election, voters could register through election day, November 4, 2014.[12]

See also: Colorado elections, 2014

Incumbent: The election filled the Senate seat formerly held by Mark Udall (D). Udall was first elected in 2008.

Candidates

General election candidates

Democratic Party Mark Udall
Republican Party Cory Gardner Green check mark transparent.png
Libertarian Party Gaylon Kent
Grey.png Bill Hammons (Unity Party of Colorado)
Grey.png Raul Acosta
Grey.png Steve Shogan
Grey.png Willoughby

June 24, 2014, primary results

Democratic Party Democratic Primary

Republican Party Republican Primary

Grey.png Third Party candidates

Libertarian Party Gaylon Kent
Grey.png Bill Hammons (Unity Party of Colorado)
Grey.png Raul Acosta
Grey.png Steve Shogan
Grey.png Willoughby

Out in assembly

Withdrew

Election results

U.S. Senate, Colorado General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngCory Gardner 48.2% 983,891
     Democratic Mark Udall Incumbent 46.3% 944,203
     Libertarian Gaylon Kent 2.6% 52,876
     Independent Steve Shogan 1.4% 29,472
     Independent Raul Acosta 1.2% 24,151
     Unity Party of Colorado Bill Hammons 0.3% 6,427
Total Votes 2,041,020
Source: Colorado Secretary of State

Race background

Multiple Republican candidates filed to run for the seat held by Udall. However, because Cory Gardner received the votes of 73 percent of the more than 3,900 delegates at the state assembly on April 12, 2014, he was the only Republican candidate to appear on the primary ballot. Thus, he was the one to face incumbent Mark Udall in November.[13]

Polling showed the two candidates to be in a tight race with Gardner having a slight edge heading into the election. However, Udall had a large fundraising advantage over Gardner throughout the race. As predicted, the race remained close up to the general election. Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the race as a "Toss Up."[14][15]

Endorsements

Cory Gardner

Gardner received the endorsement of The Denver Post on October 10, 2014. "Congress is hardly functioning these days. It can't pass legislation that is controversial and it often can't even pass legislation on which there is broad agreement. Its reputation is abysmal, and even its members rarely dispute the popular indictment. It needs fresh leadership, energy and ideas, and Cory Gardner can help provide them in the U.S. Senate."[16]

Issues

See also: Energy and the 2014 election: the ballots and beyond

Water

Both incumbent Udall and challenger Gardner spoke at a conference on water issues in August 2014. Udall issued a news release attacking Gardner for supporting a 2008 ballot initiative, Amendment 52, which would have cut funding on water projects to increase funding on transportation issues. In the release, former Senator Ken Salazar said, "Senators have a duty to represent and protect the well-being of all Coloradans. It is deeply disturbing that Congressman Gardner sided with out-of-state interests over the water needs of Colorado communities. Almost two-thirds of Colorado’s voters from every part of the state rejected Gardner’s scheme. Coloradans deserve better than Congressman Gardner."[17]

Gardner responded to the attack with, "It’s a shame that Sen. Udall can’t even talk about how we need additional dollars for transportation and the water infrastructure in the state, he would rather resort to partisan attacks. I am passionate about water issues in Colorado I have been a leader at the state Legislature and U.S. Congress to protect Colorado water and Colorado water rights from intrusion. I’m going to talk about how Sen. Udall has simply been a rubber stamp for Barack Obama and his administration as they have tried to take Colorado water."[17]

Mark Udall

Udall's campaign website listed the following issues. For full issue statements, click here.

  • Economic Opportunity & Building a Better Life: "Colorado has added more than 214,000 jobs since the recession, yet there are too many Colorado families that are still struggling to make ends meet. Mark knows that our economy is more than just statistics and numbers — it’s about creating the opportunity for families to work hard and build a better life."
  • Creating Good-Paying Colorado Jobs: "A recognized expert on energy issues, Mark’s leadership has helped make Colorado a model for the nation on smart energy policy. From efficiency and conservation, to wind, solar and other renewables, to the responsible development of clean burning natural gas, Colorado’s bountiful supply of energy doesn’t just power our homes and businesses, it drives our economy, creates good-paying jobs, and makes our country more secure."
  • Fighting For Our Rights & Values: "Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect us and for that we owe them the best health care this country has to offer. Mark works tirelessly to ensure all Colorado veterans are treated with the dignity and respect that they are owed. He successfully forced the VA to cut red tape so veterans don’t have to travel long distances for life-saving surgeries and has fought to reduce needless paperwork and redundant processes. To ensure our servicemen and women are cared for, Mark has also pressed the military to address post traumatic stress and fatigue stemming from multiple deployments."
  • Protecting Colorado’s Way of Life: "Mark works tirelessly to do right by Colorado, come hell or high water. And Colorado has seen both over the past year. He fought to get Colorado $770 million in emergency assistance to rebuild our communities, and repair our roads and bridges after last year’s historic flooding. And after forcing the Obama administration to give the Forest Service the modern tankers they needed to better fight Colorado wildfires, Mark is now leading the charge to simplify wildfire recovery by ensuring the government approaches them as they do hurricanes and tornados."

[18]

—Mark Udall's campaign website, http://markudall.com/on-the-issues/

Cory Gardner

Gardner's office website listed the following issues among others. For a full list of issue statements, click here.

  • Jobs and the Economy: "We’ve got to get this country moving again, and the best way to accomplish that is to get government out of the way. Private businesses generate wealth, not the government. By cutting government and cutting spending, we will allow the marketplace to do its job."
  • Fiscal Responsibility: "Our nation is facing historic debt and high unemployment. Washington’s spending spree has to stop. An important step towards regaining the trust of the American people starts by placing this nation on a path to a balanced federal budget. Immediately after being sworn-in, I formally added my name as a co-sponsor of the Balanced Budget Amendment. This is the first step towards reducing the deficit, paying down the national debt and learning to live within our means."
  • Energy: "Energy development at home is the key to powering our nation’s future. Not only is energy independence essential to our national security, but it will help create jobs for American workers. I have always advocated for an “all of the above” approach to energy. That includes development of traditional energy resources, renewable resources and even nuclear power."
  • Healthcare: "Despite being ruled constitutional, the President’s health care bill still makes it difficult for our economy to grow and takes away the ability of patients to pursue their own health care decisions. The real issue, however, is not whether the law is constitutional or unconstitutional. It is whether it is good or bad for the country. While our health care system needs reform, imposing unpopular and unaffordable mandates is not the solution."
  • Education: "The federal government has focused too much on throwing money at education without really evaluating whether that money has helped achieve results. The reality is that while federal spending on education has steadily increased over the years, student achievement has flat-lined. It is time to take a more innovative approach."

[18]

—Cory Gardner's office website, http://gardner.house.gov/issue/jobs-and-economy

Key votes

Below are important votes the former incumbent cast.

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

Yea3.png During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[19] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Mark Udall voted with the Democratic Party for the bill.[20]

Obamacare

Yea3.png Udall voted in favor of H.R. 3590 (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). The bill passed the Senate 60-39 on December 24, 2009.[21]

Media

Mark Udall

Supporting

Ad attacking Cory Gardner for past votes
Udall for Colorado - Ad attacking Gardner for his stance on birth control and abortion
Ad attacking Gardner for allowing government shutdown while Colorado was facing flooding

Opposing

Americans For Prosperity ad targeting Udall for supporting Obamacare
American Energy Alliance ad attacking Udall for special interests
Crossroads GPS ad attacking Udall for supporting Obamacare

Cory Gardner

Supporting

Americans for Prosperity ad supporting Cory Gardner
Cory Gardner's first campaign ad
Cory Gardner for Senate - Gardner Hits Back
Cory Gardner for Senate ad attacking Udall for insurance plan cancellations because of Obamacare

Opposing

League of Conservation Voters ad attacking Cory Gardner
Senate Majority PAC ad attacking Cory Gardner for trying to "redefine rape"
AFSCME ad attacking Cory Gardner for looking out for the "super wealthy"
DSCC ad attacking Cory Gardner for being too extreme on abortion
NextGen Climate ad attacking Gardner on climate change, gay marriage, birth control and abortion

SEIU launched an ad campaign on July 15, 2014, targeting four Republican incumbents in the U.S. House over their chamber’s inaction on immigration reform in 2014.

The ad campaign targeted Gardner and Mike Coffman (Colorado) of Colorado, David Valadao of California and Joe Heck of Nevada with a round of Spanish-language television ads for about two weeks. The ad buy was in the mid-six figures.[22]

Senate Majority PAC released an ad on July 15, 2014, attacking Gardner for supporting a congressional bill to effectively ban abortion even in cases of rape and incest. It also accuses him of trying to "redefine rape" by excluding statutory rape and victims who were drugged and then raped.[23]

AFSCME released an ad on August 15, 2014, attacking Gardner for receiving money from the Koch brothers. The ad stated that he looks out for the super wealthy.[24]

Polls

Mark Udall vs. Cory Gardner (September 2014-Present)
Poll Mark Udall Cory GardnerNot sureMargin of ErrorSample Size
Marist (October 24, 2014)
45%46%9%+/-3.6755
Rasmussen Reports (October 21-23, 2014)
45%51%4%+/-3966
Keating Research - for the Udall campaign (October 21-23, 2014)
45%44%11%+/-3.11,005
Quinnipiac (October 15-21, 2014)
41%46%13%+/-3.1974
Ipsos (October 13-20, 2014)
45%47%8%+/-3.41,099
Monmouth University (October 17-20, 2014)
46%47%7%+/-4.7431
Public Policy Polling (October 16-19, 2014)
43%46%11%+/-3.5778
Gravis Marketing (October 16, 2014)
43%48%9%+/-4695
Benenson Strategy Group - for Project New America (October 15-16, 2014)
47%44%9%+/-4600
The Mellman Group - for Senate Majority PAC (October 13-15, 2014)
44%41%15%+/-3.5800
CNN/ORC (October 9-13, 2014)
46%50%4%+/-4665
Quinnipiac (October 8-13, 2014)
41%47%12%+/-3.1988
SurveyUSA (October 4-8, 2014)
42%46%12%+/-3.5800
Fox News Poll (October 4-7, 2014)
37%43%20%+/-3.5739
Rasmussen Reports (September 29-30, 2014)
47%48%5%+/-3950
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org
Mark Udall vs. Cory Gardner (March 2014-September 2014)
Poll Mark Udall Cory GardnerNot sureMargin of ErrorSample Size
Public Policy Polling (September 19-21, 2014)
45%47%8%+/-3.8652
Gravis Marketing (September 16-17, 2014)
39%46%15%+/-4657
Quinnipiac (September 10-15, 2014)
42%52%5%+/-2.81,211
USA Today/Suffolk University (September 13-16, 2014)
42%43%16%+/-4.4500
Myers Research (September 7-14, 2014)
48%46%6%+/-2.71,350
SurveyUSA (September 8-10, 2014)
46%42%14%+/-3.9664
Marist (September 2014)
48%42%10%+/-3.5795
Rasmussen Reports (August 25-26, 2014)
44%42%14%+/-4750
Public Policy Polling (July 17-20, 2014)
44%43%13%+/-3.8653
Marist Poll (July 2014)
48%41%12%+/-3.2914
Rasmussen Reports (June 25-26, 2014)
43%42%15%+/-4750
Public Policy Polling (May 7-8, 2014)
47%43%10%+/-4.3526
Harper Polling (April 8-9, 2014)
45%43%12%+/-4.4407
Harper Polling (March 8-9, 2014)
45%44%11%+/-4.3689
Public Policy Polling (March 13-16, 2014)
42%40%17%+/-4.1568
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org






Campaign contributions

Candidate ballot access
Ballot Access Requirements Final.jpg

Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

July 2014

Incumbent Udall maintained a significant fundraising advantage over Gardner as of the FEC's July Quarterly reports. Udall had raised a grand total of $10.4 million and had $5.7 million cash on hand.[5] Gardner had raised less than half of Udall's total at just under $5 million and had $3.4 million remaining.[6]

Satellite spending

Since 2010, the amount of satellite spending going into Colorado's U.S. Senate race more than quadrupled. Additionally, eight large outside groups got involved in Colorado's U.S. Senate race, up from three in 2010.[25]

In May 2014, American Crossroads reserved $2.3 million in airtime to oppose incumbent Mark Udall.[26]

As of October 2014, Colorado's U.S. Senate race had attracted over $30 million in satellite spending. Of this money, the majority, $15,429,198, was spent opposing challenger Gardner. Of the remaining money, $3,398,242 was spent supporting Gardner, $105,857 went to Owen Hill prior to the primary, $2,186,048 was spent supporting incumbent Udall and the remaining $9,945,464 was spent opposing Udall.[27]

Mark Udall

The largest spenders either in support of Udal] or opposition to Gardner are listed below.[27]

Cory Gardner

The largest spenders either in support of Gardner or opposition to Udall are listed below.[27]

Mark Udall

Cory Gardner

Randy Baumgardner

Owen Hill

Jaime McMillan

Election history

2010

On November 2, 2010, Michael Bennet won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Ken Buck (R), Bob Kinsey (G), Maclyn Stringer (L), Jason Napolitano (Independent Reform), Charley Miller (Unaffiliated) and J. Moromisato (Unaffiliated) in the general election.[53]

U.S. Senate, Colorado General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Bennet incumbent 48.1% 851,590
     Republican Ken Buck 46.4% 822,731
     Green Bob Kinsey 2.2% 38,768
     Libertarian Maclyn Stringer 1.3% 22,589
     Independent Reform Jason Napolitano 1.1% 19,415
     Unaffiliated Charley Miller 0.6% 11,330
     Unaffiliated J. Moromisato 0.3% 5,767
Total Votes 1,772,190

2008

On November 4, 2008, Mark Udall won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Bob Schaffer (R), Douglas Campbell (American Constitution), Bob Kinsey (G) and three write-in candidates in the general election.[54]

U.S. Senate, Colorado General Election, 2008
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMark Udall 52.8% 1,230,994
     Republican Bob Schaffer 42.5% 990,755
     American Constitution Douglas Campbell 2.6% 59,733
     Green Bob Kinsey 2.1% 50,004
     Write-in Buddy Moore 0% 116
     Write-in Gary Cooper 0% 10
     Write-in Bruce Lohmiller 0% 9
Total Votes 2,331,621

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Cook Political Report, "2014 SENATE RACE RATINGS FOR JULY 18, 2014," accessed July 28, 2014
  2. Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 Senate Races," accessed October 8, 2014
  3. The Huffington Post, "Election 2014," November 4, 2014
  4. Scribd, "CO-Sen LCV for PPP (May 2014)," May 12, 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall July Quarterly," accessed July 24, 2014
  6. 6.0 6.1 Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner July Quarterly," accessed July 23, 2014
  7. Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 Senate," accessed September 15, 2014
  8. The Cook Political Report, "2014 Senate Race Ratings for September 5, 2014," accessed September 15, 2014
  9. Colorado Revised Statutes, "1-7-201. Voting at primary election," accessed July 17, 2024
  10. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 17, 2024
  11. Colorado Secretary of State, "Primary Elections FAQs," accessed July 17, 2024
  12. Colorado Secretary of State Website, "Voter Registration FAQs," accessed January 3, 2014
  13. Journal-Advocate, "Gardner campaign turns to November race," April 14, 2014
  14. Cook Political Report, "2014 SENATE RACE RATINGS FOR JULY 18, 2014," accessed July 28, 2014
  15. Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 Senate Races," accessed July 28, 2014
  16. The Denver Post, "Cory Gardner for U.S. Senate," October 10, 2014
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Durango Herald, "Candidates talk water," August 20, 2014
  18. 18.0 18.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  19. The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
  20. Senate.gov, "H.R. 2775 As Amended," accessed October 31, 2013
  21. United States Senate, "Roll Call - H.R. 3590," accessed August 13, 2014
  22. Politico, "Service Employees International Union targets four House Republicans," accessed July 15, 2014
  23. Roll Call, "Democrats Try to Turn Cory Gardner Into Todd Akin (Video)," July 15, 2014
  24. YouTube, "AFSCME PEOPLE CO US Senate IE TV Ad "What's the Deal"," August 15, 2014
  25. The New York Times, "Outside Money Drives a Deluge of Political Ads," July 27, 2014
  26. Politico, "Crossroads plans $10 million midterm blitz," May 19, 2014
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Open Secrets, "Colorado Senate Race - Outside Spending," accessed October 8, 2014
  28. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall April Quarterly," accessed July 22, 2013
  29. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall July Quarterly," accessed July 22, 2013
  30. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall October Quarterly," accessed October 28, 2013
  31. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall Year-End," accessed February 14, 2014
  32. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall April Quarterly," accessed April 29, 2014
  33. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall Pre-Primary," accessed June 23, 2014
  34. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall July Quarterly," accessed July 24, 2014
  35. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall October Quarterly," accessed October 24, 2014
  36. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Udall Pre-General," accessed November 24, 2014
  37. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner April Quarterly," accessed July 23, 2013
  38. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner July Quarterly," accessed July 23, 2013
  39. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner October Quarterly," accessed October 22, 2013
  40. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner Year-End," accessed February 4, 2014
  41. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner April Quarterly," accessed April 29, 2014
  42. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner Pre-Primary," accessed June 23, 2014
  43. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner July Quarterly," accessed July 23, 2014
  44. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner October Quarterly," accessed October 24, 2014
  45. Federal Election Commission, "Cory Gardner Pre-General," accessed November 24, 2014
  46. Federal Election Commission, "Randy Baumgardner Year-End," accessed February 14, 2014
  47. Federal Election Commission, "Owen Hill October Quarterly," accessed October 28, 2013
  48. Federal Election Commission, "Owen Hill Year-End," accessed February 14, 2014
  49. Federal Election Commission, "Jaime McMillan April Quarterly," accessed July 28, 2013
  50. Federal Election Commission, "Jaime McMillan July Quarterly," accessed October 28, 2013
  51. Federal Election Commission, "Jaime McMillan October Quarterly," accessed October 28, 2013
  52. Federal Election Commission, "Jaime McMillan Year-End," accessed February 14, 2014
  53. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
  54. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
Jeff Hurd (R)
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
Democratic Party (6)
Republican Party (4)