CO-SEN 2020: Gardner faces three early challengers

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Ron Johnson's obituary was being written almost as soon as he took office.


I remember that certainly by 2013, he was listed as the most endangered incumbent by some, who thought him more dead than Kirk.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Ron Johnson was unopposed in the primary, while no Democrat declared early. Early Democratic challengers (especially when there's also an early GOP challenger) are a signs of a weak GOP incumbent likely to be defeated. Gardner faces a challenge Johnson didn't face. Gardner in 2020 is not like Johnson in 2016.

Many expected Feingold was running again, and that is why there weren't early challengers. Everyone was waiting to see what Feingold would do.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Ron Johnson was unopposed in the primary, while no Democrat declared early. Early Democratic challengers (especially when there's also an early GOP challenger) are a signs of a weak GOP incumbent likely to be defeated. Gardner faces a challenge Johnson didn't face. Gardner in 2020 is not like Johnson in 2016.

Many expected Feingold was running again, and that is why there weren't early challengers. Everyone was waiting to see what Feingold would do.

Johnson didn't even have a token primary challenger like Gardner does. Unlike Wisconsin, Colorado is trending Democratic.

Doesn't change the fact that the lack of early Democratic challengers was because many expected a rematch with Feingold.