Colorado's 6th Congressional District Race 2014: ABC News' '14 For '14'

Colorado's 6th Congressional District Race 2014

ByABC News
January 30, 2014, 2:38 PM
Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., participates in a news conference on the plight of the residents at Camp Ashraf in Iraq on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2009.
Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., participates in a news conference on the plight of the residents at Camp Ashraf in Iraq on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2009.
Bill Clark/Getty Images

— -- ABC News' "14 For 14" project is documenting 14 races that matter between now and November. This page will be updated throughout the year. See the full list of 2014 midterm election contests the ABC News political team is tracking.

THE PLAYERS

THE STAKES

This race looks like a bellwether for efforts to control the House of Representatives. Redistricting in 2012 created a district evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, so the candidates are fighting to appeal to independent voters, which account for about one-third of the electorate in this Aurora-area district. Democrats face a steep climb to acquire a net-gain of 17 seats and regain the House majority, but a win here could signal momentum for the party to take back the lower chamber. Coffman's ties to the tea party contingent of the Republican Party could hurt him in a general election.

THE OUTLOOK

In what figures to be a close race, the campaign against Coffman focuses on his ties to the tea party and the government shutdown, while the campaign against Romanoff seeks to align him with Obamacare.

ABC NEWS RATING

Toss-up

KEY DATES