Two Republicans challenging Udall in Colo. Senate race

The Colorado Senate race has gone from sleepy to suddenly active, with two Republicans tossing their hats into the ring to challenge Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) in 2014.

{mosads}State Sens. Owen Hill (R) and Randy Baumgardner (R) have both jumped in the race in recent days, setting up what looks to be a contentious primary — with a few more contenders still considering a race — for the Republican nomination.

According to The Denver Post, which first reported the news, Baumgardner will kick off his campaign on Friday. He indicated he’ll be running his race as an outsider up against a creature of Washington.

“I feel the guy we have in there right now is not representing Colorado, he’s representing D.C.,” he told the Post. 

Baumgardner is in his first term in the state Senate, after serving two terms in the House.

Hill, a 31-year-old freshman state senator, indicated he’ll be using his relative inexperience to his advantage, running on a platform of “innovation.”

“We’ve been looking at it for a while,” he told Fox31 Denver, which first reported his run. 

“The Republican Party in Colorado does not have an answer for what the Democrats are doing. It’s time for some new ideas and for a candidate who will focus on innovation, both on policy and within our politics.”

Republicans believe Udall could be vulnerable heading into reelection, citing the purple tint of the state. But Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and a number of other high-profile Colorado Republicans opted out of the race earlier this year, depriving Republicans of some of their most credible challengers.

Udall, too, has been working to prepare for a fight, raising $1.3 million in the second quarter of this year to bring his total cash on hand to $3.4 million.

Hill told Fox31 Denver that he’s raised about $40,000 since filing papers for a run.