Boulder congressman Mark Udall is "primed" to run for governor in 2006, according to his chief of staff. Alan Salazar told The Hill, a congressional newspaper, that the victories by Colorado Democrats in this month's election set the stage for Udall:

"These are big victories for Democrats ... that would certainly point to a Democrat taking back the governorship in 2006," Salazar said, adding that "Mark has made no secret of running statewide." Earlier this year, Udall, whose 2nd District encompasses Boulder, jumped into the Democratic primary for the Senate seat being vacated by [Republican] Ben Nighthorse Campbell. But 24 hours after announcing his candidacy, Udall exited the race to make way for state Attorney General Ken Salazar (D), who won in the Nov. 2 general election.