A Republican congressman who opposes abortion will face a wealthy Democratic lawyer who has never held elective office for Colorado's open Senate seat after both easily won their primaries.
Rep. Wayne Allard beat Attorney General Gale Norton, 57 percent to 43 percent, on Tuesday to take the GOP nomination, while Democrat Tom Strickland defeated former University of Colorado law school dean Gene Nichol, 66 percent to 34 percent.Allard's win adds to a wave of conservative victories in GOP races across the country. Last week, anti-abortion Republicans won Senate primaries over opponents who support abortion rights in Michigan, Georgia and Kansas.
Allard and Strickland will meet in November for the seat of Sen. Hank Brown, who is retiring to return to private life.
Republicans see the November election as a shot at retaining a seat they have held since 1978, as well as a chance at adding to their 53-47 majority. Democrats view the general election as an opportunity to regain control of the Senate.
In the race to succeed retiring Rep. Pat Schroeder, state Rep. Diana DeGette won the first contested Democratic primary in Denver's 1st Congressional District since Schroeder was elected 24 years ago.
Schroeder is expected to teach at Princeton University.
DeGette, 39, often compared to Schroeder - one of the best-known liberal Democrats in Congress - beat former Denver City Councilman Tim Sandos, 56 percent to 44 percent. DeGette now faces Republican lawyer Joe Rogers, who had no primary opposition.
A veterinarian by trade, Allard, 53, attributed his primary win to his grass-roots effort, conservative record and campaign theme that voters did not need another lawyer in Washington.
"There are some who think a veterinarian can be outdone by a high-powered lawyer, but I think they are confident this veterinarian can hold his own," he said.
Strickland, a millionaire lawyer and lobbyist who supports abortion rights, said he will campaign against Allard's conservatism, particularly his anti-abortion stance and his support of House Speaker Newt Gingrich.