Bennet on List of Tough Re-elections

The lists have started for 2016. The Democrats only need four seats to take back the Senate (if they win the White House, five if not) but they will need to defend a couple of vulnerable senators seeking re-election including Michael Bennet.

Republicans have a tough map in 2016 with seven senators up in Obama states, the inverse of 2014. Democrats also hope to benefit from higher turnout. Forecasting will start soon and Colorado will be closely watched.

Bennet barely won in the Republican year of 2010 and just lost his colleague Mark Udall. President Obama will likely still be well below 50 percent approval and the state will probably be a presidential battleground so the expectation is Bennet will have a tough race if Republicans find a candidate.

A couple of points in Bennet’s favor besides a record electorate of 3 million voters. He is a better candidate than Udall with higher visibility in both D.C. and Colorado, the Denver Post likes him and he is a prodigious fundraiser.

The Hill newspaper list of senate seats in play.