Colorado

I noted on Monday that some of my family from South Wales moved to the anthracite coal city of Scranton. Some moved on from there to Denver, the major city in Colorado. That state will attract some interest in the elections next week.

The Senate seat currently held by Michael Bennet is listed by Cook as a "toss up". Bennet replaced Ken Salazar, who resigned his Senate seat in 2009 in order to take up the post of Secretary of the Interior. He is being challenged by Ken Buck. He beat the "establishment" Republican candidate, Jane Norton in the primary. He was favoured by tea party activists and has been controversial up to the election, reportedly telling a rally “Sen. Inhofe was the first person to stand up and say this global warming is the greatest hoax that has been perpetrated … the evidence just keeps supporting his view, and more and more people's view, of what’s going on,”

Three of the State's seven districts are regarded as competive. Ken Salazar's older brother John, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2004, is vulnerable in the 3rd District. The seat, which accounts for over half of the State's land mass - in the east and south - is a Cook "toss up". His Republican opponent is Scott Tipton. The Fourth District - in the West of the State was won in 2008 by Betsy Markey from Marilyn Musgrave. It is currently listed as "leans Republican". She faces a challenge from Cory Gardner.   Ed Perlmutter, has represented the 7th District (covering the Denver suburbs on three sides) since 2006. He is being challenged by the Republican Ryan Frazier. Cook rates the seat as "leans Democratic".

The Denver Post's election website is accessible from here.