Romer remains general chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Owens won in one of closest races in recent Colorado history, and immediately appealed to his opponents in a victory address not delivered until 2 a.m. In a state that has been trending Republican in recent years, Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell won election for the first time under the GOP banner after switching parties in 1995. In his defeat of Lamm, Campbell not only drew votes from the Republican base but also captured two-thirds of the state's large independent vote. The results, he said, showed that his support transcends party loyalties.
People talk about the party switch.
Republican strength at the top of the ticket did not translate into gains in Colorado's House delegation, which remains split between two Democrats and four Republicans. Election Results Idaho Republicans captured all the political prizes, as expected, in the game of musical political chairs set off by the retirement of one-term GOP Gov. Phil Batt. Three-term Rep. Michael D. Crapo led the ticket, defeating Bill Mauk, the former Idaho Democratic Party chairman, to win Kempthorne's Senate seat. State House Speaker Michael Simpson easily pushed aside a challenge by former Democratic representative Richard H. Stallings to recapture his old House seat. With the help of television ads financed by the National Rifle Association, Hill drew 53 percent of the vote.