Colorado Rep. Cory Gardner won a major victory Tuesday in Republicans’ quest to retake the Senate, defeating incumbent Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and prompting questions over whether Udall focused too extensively on social issues in the campaign.
The Associated Press called the Gardner victory, leaving the Republican Party in need of a net gain of just one more seat to control the Senate in 2015.
Udall calculated that his appeal to female voters would carry him in the race, using the “war on women” narrative to frame Gardner as out of touch on abortion and other social issues. The focus earned Udall the nickname “Mark Uterus” and initiated doubts even among Democrats over his campaign strategy.
Gardner somewhat undermined Udall’s campaign plan when he came out in favor of offering birth control over the counter.
“It’s simply outrageous to believe that somebody would try to ban birth control,” Gardner said in an October debate. “That’s simply outrageous. In fact, the first time my wife and I saw a television ad by Sen. Udall that said we wanted to ban birth control my wife looked at me, smiled and said, ‘Didn’t you use to pick up my prescription?’ ”
In 2008, Udall benefited from President Obama’s appearance at the top of the ballot, coasting to a 10-point victory in purple Colorado. Six years later, Obama was more of an albatross, and Udall struggled to differentiate his positions from those of the commander in chief.
The loss is particularly troubling for Democrats because it came in the backyard of Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, tasked with preserving the party’s control of the upper chamber.
