Colorado GOP Senate Race: Ken Buck May Pull Another Conservative Upset

Ken Buck, the district attorney for sprawling Weld County in north central Colorado, may be on the verge of doing to former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton what Sharron Angle did to Sue Lowden in Nevada by riding a conservative-activist, Tea Party movement-fueled campaign to an upset victory in the state's GOP Senate primary, according to a Denver Post/News9 poll conducted June 15-17.

Buck leads Norton, the "establishment" candidate supported by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, by 53 percent to 37 percent with 10 percent undecided. Buck has the backing of South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund. Buck's TV ads have sought to depict Norton as too liberal.

On the Democratic side, incumbent Michael Bennet holds a 53 percent to 36 percent lead over former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, with 11 percent undecided.

Primary day is August 10.

Both Buck and Norton best either Democrat in general election match-ups.

Buck leads Bennet 46 percent to 43 percent, with 6 percent preferring another choice and 5 percent undecided. He leads Romanoff by 49 percent to 40 percent with 6 percent preferring another choice in 5 percent undecided. (The margin of error is 2.5 points).

Norton leads Bennet by the same amount of points as Buck -- 47 percent to 44 percent with 5 percent preferring another choice and 4 percent undecided. She leads Romanoff by 45 percent to 41 percent with 8 percent preferring another choice and 7 percent undecided.

The Post said that political analysts were "struck by how much ground Buck has gained on the previously more visible Norton, and how little Romanoff has moved toward Bennet."

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