Democrats post historic wins in Colorado to control Capitol

Colorado remains firmly in Democratic hands as the party won the U.S. Senate race, five statewide contests and key victories down the ballot.

BFD: The 2022 midterms represent the first time in Colorado history that Democrats won back-to-back elections to hold complete control of the state Capitol, statewide races and congressional delegations.

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.