Election 2010: Republican Ken Buck vies for U.S. Senate seat: Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck gains momentum after caucus win.

• Position: [2010] ELECTION - Interview

Despite a much more modest campaign war chest than presumed frontrunner Jane Norton, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck narrowly bested his opponent in the Republican caucus in March.

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We recently talked with Buck about the campaign in Denver. The following transcript was edited for space and clarity. View the complete interview and complete transcript at cobizmag.com. In the months ahead, we will feature interviews with the remaining Senate candidates as well as the gubernatorial candidates.

Mike Cote, ColoradoBiz editor

ColoradoBiz: When Jane Norton entered the race last summer, you reportedly were considering leaving the race. Now just a few weeks ago, you ended up with a slight edge over Norton in the Republican precinct caucuses. Why do you think this happened?

Ken Buck: We have really been working hard to develop a grass-roots organization in Colorado, and it is paying off. We have a very clear message about the fact that you can't really trust the Republicans who have been in D.C., and you can't trust the Democrats that are in D.C. We need a different person to go to D.C. to clean up the mess back there. And I think that message is being accepted by a lot of people in Colorado.

ColoradoBiz: You've had support from some Tea Party-related groups. What does that tell you about the current state of the Republican Party and what does it mean for your campaign?

Buck: I think frankly the Republican Party is in transition. I think that there are a lot of disaffected voters who have decided that they are going to become part of the process. And as a result, the Republican Party can either move toward those voters or continue to really flounder.

ColoradoBiz: You mentioned that Jane Norton has been spending a lot of money. How do you plan to keep up the momentum you gained with the caucuses and be on the same keel as her in terms of fundraising and getting your name out there?

Buck: We've got a lot of $50, $100, $500 donors--people who it really hurts when they write a check, and they believe so strongly in this cause that they are writing those checks. We won't raise the same amount of money necessarily as a Jane Norton, who gets a lot of her money from outside the state of Colorado. But the people who write checks for me are willing to walk their neighborhoods, are willing to put up a yard sign, are willing to talk to their neighbors.

ColoradoBiz: Now that the health care reform bill has passed, do you think it's...