Rocky Mountain News projects that Barack Obama will win Colorado

Another pickup in the Rocky Mountain West:

Barack Obama won Colorado, taking key counties such as Arapahoe, Jefferson and Larimer by more than 10 percentage points.

Obama led rival John McCain by 3-1 in Denver.

On his coattails, Mark Udall is the winner in the hotly contested race for the state's next U.S. Senator. His rival, Bob Schaffer, was losing his own home county of Larimer by 9 percentage points. Denver Congresswoman Diana DeGette has been re-elected and Jared Polis becomes the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

In Colorado's 4th Congressional District, Betsy Markey was leading the intense contest against incumbent Marilyn Musgrave.

Colorado, seen as key in Obama's bid to become that nation's 44th president and its first African-American commander in chief, added to his growing lead nationwide at this hour.

Seems like having the Democratic National Convention in Denver was a great idea.

With Mark Udall's victory in Colorado, Democrats are up to five Senate pickups minimum. If Jeff Merkley and Mark Begich win in Oregon and Alaska, that tally will increase to at least seven.