Betsy Markey

PolitickerCO.com asked some Colorado political figures and pundits to predict who will win on Election Day. Here's what they said:

John Straayer, political science professor at Colorado State University:

President: Barack Obama (D) 52 percent; John McCain (R) 48 percent

U.S. Senate: Mark Udall (D) 54 percent; Bob Schaffer (R) 46 percent

Fourth Congressional District: Betsy Markey (D) 50.5 percent; Marilyn Musgrave (R) 49.5 percent

Bob Loevy, political science professor at Colorado College:

Obama 54 percent; McCain 46 percent 

Udall 56 percent; Schaffer 44 percent

UPDATED 8:00 P.M. 10/23/2008 

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Arvada) is targeting Catholic voters in Colorado with robocalls aimed at Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Mark Udall and 4th Congressional District Democratic nominee Betsy Markey.

In the calls, Beauprez talks in a prerecorded message about the "five non-negotiables" of Catholic doctrine -- opposition to abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage, embryonic stem-cell research and human cloning.

Beauprez then lauds the Republican candidate -- U.S. Senate nominee Bob Schaffer or U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan), depending on the call -- and says their opponent is on the wrong side of each of those issues.

The calls are being paid for by a new group led by Beauprez called Informed Catholic Citizens.

WINDSOR--An already acrimonious campaign came to a head Tuesday night as incumbent U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) and Democratic opponent Betsy Markey heightened their attacks of each other during their final debate of the campaign.

Debating at Windsor High School, Musgrave repeatedly renewed her attacks on Markey's ethics for co-owning a business that received government contracts while Markey was a U.S. Senate staffer and

Markey fought back by saying Musgrave voted for the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" and challenged her bipartisan credentials.

FORT COLLINS--On a Saturday afternoon, Mildred Weidemann had backed her car halfway out of her driveway before Chris Longo stopped her to ask who she planned to vote for November.

"I'm not gonna tell you," the 74-year-old Weidemann answered firmly before continuing on her way.

"I get that answer a lot," Lombo explained as Weidemann drove away. "They say their vote is private, and I try to respect that."

Longo, a 24-year-old Loveland resident, is one of 20-25 canvassers working for Defenders of Wildlife in Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont and Greeley to promote Democratic candidates Barack Obama, Mark Udall and Betsy Markey.

U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's (R-Fort Morgan) campaign canceled an interview with KBDI-TV's "Colorado Decides" show after objecting to one of the show's questioners.

Musgrave's campaign withdrew from the interview, scheduled to be taped next Tuesday, when the show refused to replace Denver-area political analyst Eric Sondermann as one of the three panelists slated to interview her, said Marcia Simmons, director of marketing and communications for KBDI-TV.

A new television ad by U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) alleges Democratic opponent Betsy Markey could face up to five years in prison for not divesting her interest in a company that received government contracts while Markey was a U.S. Senate staffer.

The ad, which began airing on broadcast TV on Tuesday, provoked a strong rebuke from Markey and her former boss, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver), who said the ad was "a new low" in Colorado politics and a tactic of a "desperate" campaign.

As expected, both parties' national congressional fundraising arms released new negative television ads Tuesday in the 4^th Congressional District race.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's ad hits incumbent U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) as being in the pocket of special interests.

The National Republican Congressional Committee's ad renews attacks by Musgrave's campaign questioning whether Markey broke the law by co-owning an information technology company that received government contracts while she worked as a staffer for U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver).

FORT MORGAN-On her opponent's home turf, Betsy Markey took to the offensive Monday night against incumbent U.S Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) during the second 4th Congressional District debate.

Musgrave frequently shot back at Markey, as well, during the debate, held at Fort Morgan High School, where Musgrave used to be a substitute teacher.

The debate focused on agricultural issues, and Markey portrayed herself as someone who would listen to all constituents regardless of their political ideology.

Meanwhile, Musgrave appeared comfortable speaking on agricultural issues, peppering her statements with personal anecdotes about working with farmers.

Both parties' national congressional fundraising arms will likely be muscling in the 4th Congressional District race soon, according to the Fort Collins Coloradoan.

Both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee have six-figure television ad buys slated to start as soon as today on Denver market broadcast stations.

And in remarks at the National Press Club on Friday, DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen and former NRCC Chair Tom Davis both indicated the 4th Congressional District will be a battleground in the final three weeks of the 2008 campaign.

The race between U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) and Betsy Markey (D-Fort Collins) has become more competitive, according to CQ Politics. Their rating for the race was changed from "Leans Republican" to "No Clear Favorite" today.

Musgrave is as likely to lose her bid for a fourth term as she is to prevail over Democratic nominee Betsy Markey, a businesswoman and former aide to Colorado Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar. Musgrave is trying to extend and Markey is trying to end a long Republican hold in a district that takes in vast parts of northern and eastern Colorado.

The ratings change is prompted by surveys that show a close race, and by Markey’s fundraising, which is better than that of 2006 Democratic nominee Angie Paccione at a similar point in the campaign cycle. Paccione took 43 percent of the vote in a three-way race and held Musgrave to 46 percent, the worst showing for a House winner in the 2006 election.

Democrats have long argued that Musgrave focuses too strongly on her socially conservative views. Musgrave, though, has since her 2006 campaign more vigorously touted her efforts on district-related issues such as water resources and transportation. The Denver Post, which editorially opposed Musgrave in her first three House campaigns, endorsed her 2008 re-election effort, saying on Friday that “Musgrave got the message” after nearly losing her seat and “has worked hard on the Agriculture and Small Business committees and fought to increase exports of Colorado beef and grain.”

Still, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the well-funded political arm of House Democrats, has begun making independent expenditures in hopes of boosting Markey’s chances in Colorado’s 4th. Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund on Sunday reported spending $665,000 on an independent television ad campaign in opposition to Musgrave. 

And there's also good news for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.):

While Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is unlikely to win a district that backed President Bush with 58 percent of the vote in 2004, he is polling competitively enough against Republican rival John McCain statewide to suggest that he could limit his deficit in Colorado’s 4th to single digits.

Politicker.com's Pindell Report currently lists the race as the country's 14th most competitive Congressional race.