By Rohit Bhandari '16:

Earlier this week, the battleground map for the senate elections of 2014 was shaken up a bit. After much prodding from Republican recruiters, Representative Cory Gardner of the fourth-congressional district of Colorado has decided to enter the senate race in an attempt to unseat incumbent Mark Udall.

Senator Udall was already facing an expected challenge from Ken Buck, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully in 2010. Buck, a man not too well liked nor considered too electable by the Republican establishment, had only been trailing Udall 45%-42% in the most recent poll. Nevertheless, Buck has decided to drop out of the race, leaving the Republican nomination wide open for Gardner.

Gardener, at 39 years old, is from a conservative district in Colorado and is highly regarded by the state Republican Party. He has entered the race hailed as a conservative whom is likable and can get his message across. Gardner believes he can win the race by placing a special emphasis on the Affordable Care Act, which remains unpopular across the nation and particularly in Colorado.

This race is of particular importance because with the balance of power in the senate up for grabs, the Republicans are looking to expand the map. With the entrance of what many believe to be a top-tier candidate, the Republican Senatorial Campaign, along with various outside super PACs (political action committees), may look to spend more money on this race, making it a high profile race. With 2014 shaping up to be a tough political year for Democrats, it seems that the entrance of Gardner has only made their attempts to keep control of the senate even tougher.

Sources:http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/cory-gardner-colorado-senate-bid-104002.htmlhttp://www.newsmax.com/politics/gardner-colorado-udall-senate/2014/03/04/id/555979