Mark Scheffel

With the state Senate District 26 race decided, Senate Republicans released their 2009 committee assignments on Thursday.

Senate Democrats announced their committee assignments last week.

In some cases, though, there isn't a name to go with the assignment. Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry (R-Grand Junction) has assigned the yet-to-be-determined senator from the 15th Senate District to the Judiciary, Local Government, and Health and Human Services committees.

By all accounts, the Democrats' five-seat majority in the Colorado State Senate is safe, but either party could gain a couple seats during this year's election.

The key Senate districts to watch are the 8th state Senate District, the 16th District, the 19th District, the 23rd District and the 26th District. Of those, two are open seats being relinquished by Republicans, one has a Republican incumbent, one has a Democratic incumbent, and one is being vacated by a Democrat.

Only competitive state Senate seats are profiled. Democrats Rollie Heath and Peter Groff are running unopposed in Districts 18 and 33, respectively.

There are four competitive state Senate primaries that will be decided during Tuesday's primaries -- all are for open seats.

Can Mark Scheffel hold off Bob Denny in the 4th state Senate District GOP race? The 18th Senate District Democratic race between Cindy Carlisle and Rollie Heath seems to be going down to the wire. Jerry Call and Lauri Clapp are butting heads in the 24th state Senate District GOP race. And some think Joyce Foster is poised to win the 35th state Senate District Democratic nomination, though others don't count out Alice Borodkin.

Former Douglas County Republican Party Chair Mark Scheffel was the only one of four candidates to make the ballot from Friday's SD-4 GOP assembly.

Scheffel, a Parker attorney, won 65 percent of the assembly delegate votes.

Precinct 131 Committeeman Ed Brewer of Castle Rock won 25 percent of the vote, but since he did not submit petitions to the Colorado Secretary of State's office by the May 29 deadline, he's out of the race.

Castle Rock Mayor Randy Reed and computer consultant Mark Vanderbilt of Castle Rock are out of the race after receiving 7 percent and 2 percent of the votes, respectively.

Meanwhile, retired Air Force Colonel Bob Denny of Glen Eagle has submitted petitions to the Colorado Secretary of State's office. Two other SD-4 candidates who had planned to petition, Precinct 58 Committeeman Roger Partridge of Castle Rock, and SD-4 GOP Chair John Peterson of Castle Rock, did not turn in petitions by the May 29 deadline.

In this edition of PolitickerCO.com's weekly Winners & Losers, one insurgent candidate claims a one-touchdown lead on an incumbent congresswoman, while the race to replace Wayne Allard both candidates get extra points. Also, it's been 14 days, 22 hours and 25 minutes since the Scheffel Shuffle started. How long will it continue?

More PolitickerCO.com coverage: Harvey 'Queen for a day' ... barely

In today's Inside Edge Harvey was crowned Ms. 6th CD in a tight race. So now the real campaign beigns. And the Scheffel Shuffle continues!

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo: Getty Images PhotoRetiring U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) has endorsed former Douglas County Republican Party Chair Mark Scheffel in the crowded 4th Senate District GOP race, a Tancredo spokesperson said Tuesday.

Tancredo's congressional spokesperson, T.Q. Houlton, confirmed the endorsement but said he didn't know any details on Tancredo's reasons for backing Scheffel.

Scheffel did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday morning seeking comment.

With a “do nothing” Colorado legislature adjourning for the regular 2008 session, there are some clear winners, and maybe some winners that aren’t so clear. Meanwhile, a few congressional candidates continue their bumbling, stumbling ways and means, and a Colorado Senate candidate shows he might not be ready for the rough and tumble of politics, politicker style. Find out who are this week's Winners and Losers in Colorado politics.