Lynn Bartels, Denver Post

In the last month, Colorado jumped back into the national political discussion for more than just its policies on recreational drug use. Suddenly, the Centennial state is the latest chip in the battle for Senate control.It began when popular Republican Rep. Cory Gardner stopped saying no, no, no and decided to say, sure, I’ll run for Senate. With that, the race against Democrat Mark Udall was on, and Colorado got interesting. Throw in an active fight for governor, and Colorado is not just a great place to ski – but it’s a great place for politics.One person paying close attention: Denver Post political reporter Lynn Bartels, who has watched and covered politics in Colorado for more than 20 years. She says she thinks “politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups." She also has been called one of the state’s “best political reporters and tweeters.”