The primary is nearly a year away, but the candidacy of Mr. Romanoff, a former two-term speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, is forcing Democrats to choose sides. The two men have no glaring policy differences, but the contested primary, some Democrats fear, could weaken the party in the general election.
“We thought by this time we wouldn’t have a primary,” said Pat Waak, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party. “I would rather us focus on who our candidate is.”
Mr. Romanoff and his supporters had lobbied hard for the Senate appointment that went, to the surprise of many Democrats, to Mr. Bennet, and over the past year, questions about Mr. Romanoff’s future had lingered. Friends said he had even pondered a challenge to the governor, Bill Ritter Jr., who is up for re-election next year.
Mr. Romanoff explained his decision to seek the Senate seat by saying Colorado voters deserved the right to decide who should be senator.
“I believe the Democratic Party and Colorado are strong enough to survive an honest contest,” he said. “My aim is to grow our ranks, not to divide them.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Bennet — a former Denver public schools superintendent whose father, Douglas, held positions in the Clinton and Carter administrations — is proving to be a prodigious fund-raiser, raising about $2.6 million so far. This month, President Obama made a point of endorsing him.
Ms. Waak, the party chairwoman, said she was disappointed with Mr. Romanoff’s decision to enter the race and has warned local party officials to stay out of the campaign. But the state’s elected officials are a different matter.
Many members of the state legislature who know Mr. Romanoff are publicly backing him, while others are standing with Mr. Bennet. So far, Democrats in Colorado’s Congressional delegation have mostly lined up behind Mr. Bennet, with Senator Mark Udall and Representative Betsy Markey backing him. But Representative Diana DeGette says she plans to stay neutral, and Representative Ed Perlmutter has not yet signaled a preference.
“Nobody has given me a compelling reason why Michael Bennet has not earned the opportunity to be our U.S. senator for a full term,” said Terrance D. Carroll, the speaker of the Colorado House, who is supporting Mr. Bennet despite being a friend of Mr. Romanoff.
The early goings of the primary race have also split the state’s Hispanic voters, an important voting bloc for Democrats in past elections that makes up 10 percent of the electorate. Mr. Romanoff, who speaks Spanish, has surrounded himself by some of the state’s most influential Hispanic politicians.
“Andrew has developed relationships within the Hispanic community over the past couple of decades,” said Polly Baca, a longtime former Colorado legislator, who is advising Mr. Romanoff.
Mr. Bennet has been making inroads among Hispanics, some of whom are still wary of Mr. Romanoff because of his prominent role during a special legislative session in 2006, in which tough immigration measures were passed.
“Senator Bennet has told us that he is willing to lose an election over immigration reform,” said Jessie Ulibarri, a Latino Democratic advocate. “It is comforting to have a senator with that stance.” |
