Endorsement Power Test

President Barack Obama’s influence among Democrats will be tested today in a primary in Colorado, where his party is fighting to keep a U.S. Senate seat likely critical to its control of the chamber. No other Democratic contest this year has drawn as much involvement from Obama, who is backing Senator Michael Bennet. The incumbent’s opponent, former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, is supported by former President Bill Clinton. The Republican primary pits a Tea Party favorite against a candidate supported by the national party leadership, while a race for the party’s gubernatorial nomination features a plagiarism scandal. Connecticut and Minnesota also hold primaries today, and Georgia has a run-off contest selecting the Republican gubernatorial candidate. Bennet, appointed after Obama named then-Senator Ken Salazar as Interior Department secretary, has relied on White House help throughout the primary. Reflecting Obama’s below 50 percent approval rating in polls, Bennet isn’t sure he wants such help should he advance to the general election campaign. Read more here:

Endorsement Power Test