Incumbent Democrat John Hickenlooper projected to keep his U.S. Senate seat in Colorado

Incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper is projected to keep his seat in the U.S. Senate after defeating Republican challenger Mark Baisley and Forward Party Independent Bob Chew along with several other minor party and write-in candidates. After Hickenlooper won the Democratic primary earlier this year, he said this would be his final six-year term should he win re-election.

At the time that Hickenlooper was projected as the winner on Tuesday with 89.2% of the vote, CBS says.

Hickenlooper, a former geologist, was elected to the Senate in 2020 after serving first as Denver mayor and then Colorado governor. This would be his second term as a senator representing Colorado in the nation's capital.

The senator will turn 80 before the end of his next term. He told CBS Colorado Political Reporter Shaun Boyd last month that his experience -- both political and entrepreneurial -- is an asset in Washington.

"I'm the only scientist (in the Senate). I'm one of 12, out of 100, former governors who has that experience.  I'm one of two former mayors of a major city (who also was a) governor," Hickenlooper said. "And those experiences are different. Having been out of work for two years. Having started a business from scratch and put everything I own on the line. (Laying) awake, worrying about my workforce and if I fail what would happen. And all of that stuff helps me when I'm trying to decide what to prioritize."

Baisley is an aerospace engineer and a Colorado state senator representing Colorado's 4th Senate District. Before serving in the state senate, Baisley represented Colorado House of Representatives District 39, which included parts of Douglas County and all of Teller County.