Prime Democratic Pickup Opportunity in Another State Turning Blue
By: Lowell
Published On: 1/15/2007 5:26:26 PM
According to Chris Cillizza's "The Fix" blog, "Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) announced today he will not seek a third term in the Senate, setting up a high-profile race to replace him next year." This is great news for Democrats, and a prime pickup opportunity for 2008. According to Cillizza:
Rep. Mark Udall (D) has been preparing a run for Allard's Senate seat better part of the last two years and will likely have the Democratic field to himself. He ended the year with $1.3 million on hand.
What about the Republicans, who will they select as their nominee to run against Udall? Well, according to the Colorado blog SquareState.net, it doesn't matter, as their headline "Who's gonna lose to Mark Udall?" tends to imply. Ha.
Mark Udall, by the way, is the son of former Congressman Morris "Mo" Udall (D-AZ), who sought the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1976. According to Wikipedia:
[Mark Udall] is a cousin of Congressman Tom Udall of New Mexico and Senator Gordon Harold Smith of Oregon, and nephew of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall. As a member of the Udall family he is part of one of the largest political dynasties in the United States.
According to Project Vote Smart, Udall is a strong Progressive on civil rights, education, energy, the environment, womens' issues, foreign policy, family and children matters, pretty much everything. Mark Udall is going to make a great addition to the U.S. Senate, replacing a man (Allard) who is about as right-wing as they come. Great news from yet another state turning "blue!"
[UPDATE: Markos calls it a sure Democratic pickup. Jonathan Singer on MyDD says that, although he's not ready to call it as Markos has, "it is clear that this will be an extremely difficult seat for the Republicans to defend next year." Great news for Democrats everywhere today!]
Comments
This was our best pickup opportunity even WITH Allard (Chris Guy - 1/15/2007 5:35:02 PM)
I think this will like Pennsylvania was last year. The Udalls in Colorado are like the Caseys Penn. It's pretty much a done deal this seat is turning blue.
Agreed. (Lowell - 1/15/2007 5:38:50 PM)
Barring a miracle (or a disaster, depending on how you want to look at it), Democrats will pick up a US Senate seat in Colorado in 2008. To quote Borat, "Is nice!" :)
Hey, Mo (Harry Landers - 1/15/2007 6:15:50 PM)
Just for the record, Morris Udall was from Arizona, not Colorado.
Thanks, chalk that one up to a "brain fart" (Lowell - 1/15/2007 6:24:01 PM)
It's amazing that I forgot, though, because in 1976, my 8th grade social studies teacher had us closely following the Democratic primaries. In addition to Udall, the other contenders were Frank Church, Jerry Brown, "Scoop" Jackson, Milton Shapp, Sargent Shriver, George Wallace, Robert Byrd, Lloyd Bentsen, Adlai Stevenson III, Fred Harris, Terry Sanford, and....drumroll, some guy named "Jimmy". Back then, of course, I was a Teenage Republican and Gerald Ford supporter. Of the Dems, I liked several of the candidates (Udall and Church were two of my favorites, along with Scoop Jackson), but I've got to say, I was never a big Jimmy Carter fan. (Of course, compared to Dubya, Carter was the greatest President ever!)
Udall reminiscence (scarlatagal - 1/15/2007 6:49:58 PM)
I was living in Massachusetts during the time that he started his presidential campaign. He apparently decided one day to shake hands in downtown Boston--I happened to be there probably shopping at Filenes Basement (RIP). Shook hands and thought he was a great guy......
A Mo Udall was at University of Arizona (Teddy - 1/15/2007 8:03:56 PM)
about the time I was, and then showed up in Washington. You're right, he had The Name and was very popular.
Memories of Mo (Harry Landers - 1/15/2007 9:01:18 PM)
Since we're strolling down memory lane... I lived in Massachusetts in 1976, too. I was serving on my local school board at the time and had become acquainted with Paul Tsongas who was, at the time, a member of the Lowell City Council. One cold winter evening, I was invited to Paul's home to meet with Mo Udall (along with about 100 of his other very closest friends). My memories of Congressman Udall are that he was tall, warm and engaging and funny. He was my candidate in the 1976 primaries.
One more correction on the list of 1976 Democratic candidates, though, Lowell. I'm quite sure that Milton Shapp was a Republican, no?
From Wikipedia (Lowell - 1/15/2007 9:06:10 PM)
"Milton Jerrold Shapp (June 25, 1912 - November 24, 1994) was the Democratic governor of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1971 to 1979 and was the first Jewish governor of Pennsylvania."
Milton Shapp (Harry Landers - 1/15/2007 9:23:51 PM)
Mmmm... tasty crow. (To make matters worse, I was living in Pennsylvania from mid-1976 to 1978 and should have known better.)
I didn't realize crow was tasty. (Lowell - 1/15/2007 9:36:47 PM)
Is that a Pennsylvania delicacy or what? :)
Marylyn Musgrove (Newport News Dem - 1/15/2007 6:31:26 PM)
I nominate Musgrove for the GOP slot and we have a 2fer....
Dem pickup in the senate and Musgrove out of Congress!
I don't think so (KCinDC - 1/15/2007 11:10:33 PM)
Can we really count on the Republicans being that stupid? Maybe Tancredo?
Pride comes before the Fall (DukieDem - 1/15/2007 7:00:08 PM)
This is certainly good news but it by no means ensures a pickup. Our friends in Colorado are going to have to work hard to gain this seat.
We can only hope we get the same chance if Senator Warner retires...