For the thousands of unemployed Coloradans, jobs growth is welcome, but it’s also a political plus for Democrats, who, the Greeley Tribune reports, are “riding a wave of positive job news.” At a Greeley party event, Congresswoman Betsey Markey, who is expected to face a fierce fight to retain her Fourth District seat come November, boasts that 290,000 jobs have been added last month as the economy continues to grow. “I think we’re really starting to see some of the fruits of our labor, particularly where the economy is concerned,” Markey says, speaking at a fundraiser in Weld County.

Yet, the prognosis for the election isn’t looking very good for Democrats, according to The New York Times, which reports that Colorado is swinging back toward Republicans. The Times also says the dream of party expansion into the West espoused by Barack Obama during the Democratic National Convention in Denver less than two years ago seems to have dimmed. “Republicans are now well positioned for a statewide resurgence, threatening several Democratic seats in the midterm elections and raising questions about whether the opening chapter of the Obama administration has eroded gains that Democrats had been making here for the previous six years,” the Times writes, noting factors including Colorado’s sluggish economy and the ninth-highest foreclosure rate in the country. The Dems may yet hold onto their gains in the West. To do so, they may want to check out the advice of Rob Witwer, a lawyer and former member of the state House, and Adam Schrager, a political reporter for 9News. The two team up in an essay entitled, “Eight Steps Democrats Could Take to Win Swing States in 2010” (via AlterNet).