Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) is projected to win a third term in the Senate, defeating one of the few Republicans this cycle to break with former President Trump.
CNN, ABC News and NBC News projected the race for Bennet.
Bennet faced off against Joe O’Dea, a construction company executive who sought to portray himself as a moderate by bucking his party and its standard-bearer. He made headlines for saying that he did not want Trump to run again in 2024 and said he didn’t support Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) proposed national 15-week abortion ban.
O’Dea won his primary against state Rep. Ron Hanks, who was seen as more aligned with Trump and openly questioned the 2020 election. During the primary, Hanks wouldn’t commit to accepting the results of the primary in the event he lost.
Democrats meddled in the primary, seeking to boost the candidate more associated with Trump, though the construction company executive ultimately prevailed.
O’Dea’s more tempered rhetoric and appeal toward moderates led the Senate GOP campaign arm to invest in the race and gave Republicans some hope the state could be within their grasp.
O’Dea’s appeal toward moderates gave Republicans hope that they could win the Senate seat in a state that has been trending blue in recent years. (Associated Press)
While Colorado has trended blue in recent years, Bennet’s win in the state wasn’t a shoe-in. Bennet won his first election in 2010 by close to 2 percentage points and by roughly 6 points in 2016.
Still, the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report had rated the race as “lean Democrat” and while Bennet led in most polls, O’Dea appeared to be within striking distance in some.