Georgia runoff too close to call; Bennet gets big win in Colorado

By Steve Brusk and Kevin Bohn, CNN
August 11, 2010 -- Updated 0658 GMT (1458 HKT)

(CNN) -- An incumbent U.S. senator with help from the White House held off a tough primary challenge in Colorado, a former wrestling executive easily won the Republican nomination for the Senate in Connecticut, and a dramatic runoff for the Republican governor's nomination in Georgia was too close to call on a busy primary night Tuesday.

Four states went to the polls with high-profile primaries for governors and the U.S. Senate. Three of the races for governor kept candidates and supporters biting their nails into the early morning hours.

In Colorado, incumbent U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet claimed victory in the Democratic primary after staving off a fierce challenge from former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. Bennet will face Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, who -- with the support of many Tea Party backers -- defeated former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton for the GOP nomination.

In Connecticut, former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon won the GOP nomination for Senate, besting former Rep. Rob Simmons and businessman Peter Schiff. McMahon will face Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in November.

In Georgia, even a runoff wasn't enough to immediately determine a winner in the GOP governor's race. Associated Press numbers showed former Congressman Nathan Deal held a 50.2-49.8 percent lead over former Secretary of State Karen Handel in a race that featured high-profile surrogates and sharp barbs in the final days. Deal did not immediately declare victory, and under Georgia law a candidate can request a recount if the margin is less than 1 percent.

With all precincts reporting, the margin was just 2,431 votes out of more than half a million cast.

The race for the GOP nomination for Colorado governor was too close to call early Wednesday morning. AP said with 90 percent of the vote counted, Tea Party favorite Dan Maes was holding a small 50.5-49.5 percent lead over the one-time frontrunner, former Rep. Scott McInnis. McInnis stumbled late in the campaign amid allegations of plagiarism.

In Minnesota, in a political comeback, former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton overtook state House speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher to win the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination for governor in Minnesota, AP projects. Dayton will face GOP nominee Tom Emmer and Independent Party candidate Tom Horner in November.

In Connecticut, Greenwich millionaire Tom Foley held off a late charge from Lt. Gov. Michael Fidele to win the GOP nomination for governor. And on the Democratic side, former Stamford, Connecticut, mayor Dan Malloy easily defeated Ned Lamont.

Speaking to a couple hundred exuberant supporters, a victorious Bennet at times sounded more like a challenger than the incumbent who had just won.

"I know Washington has a lot to learn from Colorado," he told the crowd. "Our country does not end at the Potomac River... Washington is full of politicians who are more interested in scoring points than doing the hard work to turn our economy around," he said.

Bennet acknowledged in his remarks that this was the first time Colorado voters had actually seen his name on a ballot. He was appointed last year to fill out the remaining term of then-Sen. Ken Salazar, who President Obama appointed Interior Secretary. Noting some political experts and pundits just a week ago had counted his campaign out when Romanoff pulled even in polls with Bennet, the senator said he had a simple message for them: "Welcome to Colorado."

Key to Bennet's victory was a strong outreach effort by President Obama, who recorded a robocall praising Bennet and phoned in to a telephone town hall last week, and the Democratic National Committee, which sponsored a phone bank to enlist supporters as well as other activities. The race became a proxy war of sorts of endorsements after Romanoff was endorsed by former President Clinton, who had known him since 1992.

Campaign aides say that Obama called Bennet after he was declared the winner tonight. They didn't give any details of the conversation.

Bennet campaign aides say they will mount the general election effort immediately. He will hold a unity rally with Romanoff and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine on Thursday in Denver, Colorado, and a town hall Saturday.

Norton had support from establishment Republicans including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and was the early favorite. But Buck, who is backed by many in the Tea Party movement, closed the gap in the final weeks.

After a contentious campaign, Buck told supporters, "Get a good night's sleep because for the next 83 days, we are going to unite the Republican Party. We are going to reach out our hand for those independent voters and Democrats who are also fed up with Washington D.C."

Norton, admitted disappointment as she addressed her campaign party, saying, "This election is more than Ken Buck or Jane Norton. This election is about America and our future. We are losing our country, and it is our job to take it back."

The GOP primary made national headlines after video of Buck went viral on YouTube. In the clip, Buck jokingly told people gathered at a campaign rally that they should support him "because I don't wear high heels." Days later the Norton campaign used the video in a campaign commercial.

McMahon, along with her husband Vince, operated World Wrestling Entertainment from its startup in 1980 until last year, when she announced her candidacy. McMahon has said she'll spend up to $50 million of her own money on her bid to join the Senate. She's fended off charges from her GOP opponents that she's tried to buy the election, and she's also defended herself from the steroids scandals that have rocked professional wrestling over the past two decades.

In her victory speech, she told supporters it was time for the party to unify.

"Families don't always get along and don't always agree, but in the end, they do stand together," she said, saying the focus should be on people hurt by the economy.

The November matchup in Connecticut will pit McMahon against Blumenthal, who faced controversy in May when he apologized for misstating that he served in Vietnam. Blumenthal served in the Marine Corps Reserves stateside during the Vietnam War.

In Georgia, Deal came out to address supporters, telling them "we're still waiting...but we are encouraged. It's too early to say anything more than that." Minutes later, Handel told her supporters to "keep our fingers crossed," saying there were still a lot of absentee ballots to be counted.

The photo finish capped a runoff sprint where the candidates traded sharp barbs in the final days, each bringing in a national figure for 11th-hour campaigning. Sarah Palin campaigned for Handel on Monday, while Mike Huckabee came to Georgia to back Deal over the weekend. Newt Gingrich, from the northern Atlanta suburbs, also released a web video this weekend calling Dean the "leading conservative" in the race.

The winner will face Democratic former Gov. Roy Barnes in November.

The Colorado GOP governor nominee will end up in a three-way race against Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, and former Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, who jumped into the race in the past two weeks as the American Constitution Party's candidate. Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat, decided not to run for re-election.