Democrats post historic wins in Colorado to control Capitol

Driving the news: U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet soundly defeated his opponent in a must-win race for Democrats, Gov. Jared Polis easily won re-election and Democrats maintained control of the General Assembly.

• In congressional battles, Democrat Brittany Pettersen won decisively in the open 7th District, and Yadira Caraveo and Adam Frisch are competitive in the 8th and 3rd districts, respectively — both of which favored Republicans.

Why it matters: At the state level, Democrats kept complete control over lawmaking at the Capitol — which they first won in 2018, a much more favorable political year for the party.

• Nationwide, Colorado emerged as one of the bright spots for Democrats despite major headwinds, and victories in congressional races helped the party hold important ground.

What they're saying: "We had the biggest night in the country," state House Speaker Alec Garnett (D-Denver) told Axios at the party's celebration downtown. "The Republicans are as lost a party in Colorado as I've ever seen."

The other side: "I just don’t think you can sugarcoat it. This was a devastating wipeout, almost across the board," George Brauchler, a Republican and former candidate for attorney general, told us at the sullen GOP gathering in the Denver Tech Center.