(Newser) – Turns out, incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet wasn't premature in declaring himself the winner of Colorado's Senate race. After today's counting, there's no way GOP challenger Ken Buck can catch him, reports the AP. With 97% of returns in, he's got a lead of more than 15,000 votes. Buck, however, hasn't conceded yet.
The Denver Post called Bennet the winner this morning, pointing out that an automatic recount would kick in only if the margin were about 3,900 votes. The victory prevents Republicans from picking up a seventh seat. Two other Senate races remain up in the air: GOP incumbent Lisa Murkowski leads in Alaska, notes the Anchorage Daily News, and Democratic incumbent Patty Murray leads in Washington state, says the Seattle Times.
