CO-4

In its latest television ad released Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave’s campaign reiterated charges that Democratic opponent Betsy Markey violated U.S. Senate ethics rules as her company accepted government contracts while she worked as a Senate staffer.

The ad claims “Millionaire Markey” is “caught in corruption and scandal,” even though no evidence has been shown that Markey used her position as a staffer for U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar to benefit her information technology company, Syscom Systems.

The ad began running today on broadcast TV, Musgrave manager Jason Thielman told PolitickerCO.com.

Three televised debates have been scheduled so far between U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) and Democratic opponent Betsy Markey, according to Markey's campaign.

The first debate will be held Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. KUSA-TV, which is sponsoring the debate with the Fort Collins Coloradoan, will broadcast the debate live, according to information provided by Markey spokesperson Ben Marter.

The second debate is scheduled for Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. at Fort Morgan High School in Fort Morgan. The debate, which will focus on agricultural issues, is sponsored by Colorado Corn, Colorado Dairy Farmers, the Colorado Livestock Association, and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. KGWN-TV will televise the debate, though it's not certain whether the debate will be aired live, Marter said.

The third debate will be Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Windsor High School Auditorium in Windsor, Marter said. Fox 31 will tape the debate, which is being sponsored by the Greeley Tribune, Fort Collins Now, Windsor Now, Fox 31, the Colorado Young Republicans and the Colorado Young Democrats.

The National Republican Congressional Committee reserved more than $1 million in TV spots Tuesday, the Fort Collins Coloradoan is reporting.

That trumps the $667,000 put into the race by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last month on behalf of Betsy Markey, who has overcome early skepticism to pose a serious challenge to incumbent U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan).

Spending is well ahead of where it was at this point in the race two years ago, when Musgrave and Democratic opponent Angie Paccione spent more than $9 million combined.

Jared Polis won the Democratic nomination for Congress in the race for Mark Udall's seat
Freshman U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn survived a Republican primary challenge Tuesday night easily beating Jeff Crank in a hard fought primary. In two open seats, businessman Jared Polis secured the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District and state Secretary of State Mike Coffman won the 6th Congressional District seat vacated by Tom Tancredo.

U.S. Rep. Mark Udall and former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer will face off in one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. Senate races.  Udall and Schaffer won the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively, without opposition.

In the GOP primary for Tancredo’s open seat, Coffman defeated Wil Armstrong 40%-33%.  Ted Harvey (15%), and Steve Ward (12%) trailed.

In the 2nd district, where Udall is running for the Senate, Polis won a 42%-38% victory over State Sen. Joan FitzGerald; Will Shaforth won 20%.

Lamborn, a freshman Republican, defeated Jeff Crank by a 45%-29% margin.  Bentley Rayburn finished third with 26%.

In District 1, George Lilly won a 58%-42% victory over Charles Crain for the chance to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette.

Colorado will likely remain the center of the political universe long after the Democratic National Convention leaves town, a new Politicker.com analysis shows.

As one of the top presidential swing states, and home to an increasingly competitive U.S. Senate race, and a top U.S. House race, Colorado will help decide not just presidency, but also congressional control.

The Pindell Report, named for Politicker.com Managing Editor James Pindell, aims to provide the country's most dynamic and richly reported ranking and analysis of U.S. Senate, U.S. House and  gubernatorial races, plus presidential swing states.

One of the Democrats’ top targets in the battle for the U.S. House is taking heat from an environmental advocacy group in a new set of television advertisements launching today.

Defenders of Wildlife PAC is airing hard-hitting ads that aim to portray U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) as out-of-step on the environment and too close to President Bush. In one of the two ads airing the organization accuses Musgrave of voting to give tax breaks to oil companies and pictures the three-term congresswoman getting a kiss from the president.

Musgrave is facing off against Betsy Markey, a businesswoman and former Larimer County Democratic Party chair. Musgrave, who defeated Democrat Angie Paccione in 2006 with a narrow 46 percent of the vote, is widely seen as vulnerable this cycle. 

U.S. Rep. Marilyn MusgraveU.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) has again become a target of the Gill Action Fund, a gay rights political action committee, reports The Advocate. Musgrave is in a tight race against Democratic challenger Betsy Markey for Colorado's 4th Congressional District, which takes in traditionally strong conservative areas in eastern and northern Colorado.

The CO-5 race this week turns topsy-turvy providing a winner and a loser; while Dems and the GOP can't agree about energy, making us all losers. So check in with Wally Edge for this week's Weekly Winners & Losers: it's guaranteed to make all your weekend plans that much more enjoyable provided you live in seclusion.

CO-4 candidate Betsey Markey, after getting some encouraging poll numbers last week, hit the streets door-to-door over the weekend. Markey and about 20 volunteers, according to the Ft Collins Coloradoan, door-knocked neighborhoods the old-fashioned way, talking about change (and probably, quite audaciously, hope too).

In this edition of Winners & Losers, a bunch of congressional candidates have a good week, while we get a view of Mr. TABOR that we would have rather not had. Also some losers come out of the GOP assembly and the 2nd District Court. So check in with Wally Edge for this week's Winners & Losers and get your Friday off to the best start possible.