Tara Trujillo

In a sign national Democrats are confident about Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Mark Udall's chances on Nov. 4, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will stop its television advertising in Colorado by Tuesday, the Denver Post reported Wednesday.

The DSCC, which has spent nearly $4.6 million on advertising in support of Udall against Republican opponent Bob Schaffer, will focus instead on U.S. Senate races in other states, according to the Post.

UPDATED 1:56 P.M. 10/15/2008 

Several independent groups that have spent millions on anti-Mark Udall television ads during the past few weeks are reportedly leaving Colorado.

The 501(c)4 group Freedom's Watch and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which have spent more than $2 million on TV ads attacking the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee in the last two weeks of September alone, are pulling out of Colorado, the Denver Post reported Tuesday. The two groups are instead focusing on bolstering Republican U.S. Senate nominees in Oregon and North Carolina, the Post reported.

And ColoradoPols reported hearing "credible rumors" on Wednesday that the National Republican Senatorial Committee is pulling out of the Colorado U.S. Senate race as well.

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall's campaign continued building momentum today with the announcement that Udall raised more than $2 million in the second quarter of 2008.  Between April 1st and June 30th, Udall raised $2.04 million for his campaign, surpassing his own previous best fundraising quarter by nearly $600,000.  He received contributions from 10,691 individual donors, including 8,558 small donors - 79% of all individual donors - who contributed $100 or less.

"The incredible support of people from all over Colorado put Mark Udall's campaign into a very strong position in the early going, and now we are so grateful to see even more enthusiasm growing as the campaign heats up," said Udall spokeswoman Tara Trujillo.

Tara Trujillo, who's been Mark Udall's congressional communications director, was named Udall's U.S. Senate campaign spokesperson Wednesday.

Trujillo will take over the day-to-day media requests and scheduling for the campaign from campaign communications director Taylor West. She's taking a leave of absence from her congressional position to work with the campaign, a press release stated.

Trujillo's hiring will allow West to focus on larger issues within the campaign, West said.

"Tara has been a critical part of my Congressional office team and our ability to get things done for the people of Colorado," said Udall in a statement.  "I am very fortunate that she’ll now bring her considerable skills and insight to the important work that lies ahead for this campaign."