Sen. Bennet gets first GOP challenger

Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier is the first Republican to take a formal step toward the Colorado Senate race, launching an exploratory committee on Wednesday.

Frazier made the announcement at a Tea Party rally in Grand Junction.

{mosads}“We have an amazing opportunity to create economic prosperity, reform our government and build a better future,” Frazier said, according to a release. “I stand before you to do my part.”

If he wins the GOP primary, Frazier would likely face appointed Sen.
Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who replaced Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
(D) in the Senate earlier this year.

Frazier is not the first choice of GOP leaders in Washington, but he brings a compelling profile to the race as a young African-American in a party that is trying to reinvent itself.

Raising money will be a major hurdle for Frazier, and no one will know how he’s doing for another three months, when second-quarter reports are due.

Other GOPers to keep an eye on include Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, attorney Dan Caplis and former Rep. Bob Beauprez.

Frazier recently defeated all of them at a straw poll in Douglas County — a conservative stronghold in the state.

On the Democratic side, there has been some talk that Bennet could face someone like former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in a primary.