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McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON Democrats are finding that their path to keeping control of the U.S. Senate this year is getting bumpier.

At least four states where Democrats hold Senate seats that once were seen as fairly safe are now considered in play Iowa, Colorado, Michigan and New Hampshire.

They join seven states with Democratic incumbents where analysts see decent bets for Republican pickups Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney carried all seven in 2012.

The new four are now battlegrounds for the same reasons that plague Democrats elsewhere:

l The Affordable Care Act is detested in many circles.

l Anyone associated with Washington, D.C., is often toxic.

l And popular Republicans who are running for other offices are often on the ballot.

The common thread is that theres a Democrat in the White House whos not that popular, said Kyle Kondik, the managing editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan research group at the University of Virginia. It wouldnt be surprising if any of those states went Republican.

Republicans also appear more motivated.

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Experts see trouble ahead for Democrats in Iowa, nationally

Former Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon was elected as chairman of the Utah Democratic Party at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 26, 2014.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY Utah Democrats elected a familiar face to lead their party Saturday.

Former Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corrron defeated BYU political science professor Richard Davis in the race for state Democratic Party chairman.

"I'm excited to be back in the game again after a year," Corroon said after winning the vote 68 percent to 32 percent at the state Democratic Party convention. "If we want change in Utah, I have to be part of that change and help make a difference."

About 1,300 delegates gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center to hear speeches and nominate candidates. In addition to the party chairmanship, Democrats had contested races in the 1st and 4th congressional districts.

Corroon succeeds colorful state Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, who resigned as chairman last month for health reason after nearly three years on the job. He said he has big shoes to fill but would take a more understated approach to the job.

"You won't have as big a personality running the show," Corroon said.

Corroon said he has a 29-county plan to make the Democrats more effective statewide.

"We can pat ourselves on the back in Salt Lake County, but until we have organizations in each of the counties, we will never be successful throughout the state," he said. "There are some counties in the state where the Democratic Party doesn't exist."

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Utah Democrats pick ex-S.L. County Mayor Peter Corroon as party chairman

PRAGMATIC CENTRISM THE DEMOCRATS: Robert Kavanagh #39;s Video Blog No.2, 23 April 2014
Pragmatic Centrism and the Australian Democrats.

By: Bobbie Kavanagh

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PRAGMATIC CENTRISM & THE DEMOCRATS: Robert Kavanagh's Video Blog No.2, 23 April 2014 - Video

2014 European election broadcast: Liberal Democrats (24Apr14)
A Party Election Broadcast for the 2014 European elections by the Liberal Democrat party. Recorded from BBC1 HD, 25 April 2014.

By: liarpoliticians

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2014 European election broadcast: Liberal Democrats (24Apr14) - Video

Montana Democrats arrived in full force Friday for the 28th Annual Harry S. Truman Dinner, raising about $15,000 for Yellowstone County Democrats, vice chair of the group Becky Riedl said.

More than 200 people bought tickets to the event, and more than 300 people showed up at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center, Riedl said.

She said it was more than they expected. To accommodate, they had to bring in extra tables, but they still ran out of food.

Gov. Steve Bullock, Sen. John Walsh and U.S. House candidates John Lewis and John Driscoll, as well as U.S. Senate candidates John Bohlinger and Dirk Adams, spoke at the event.

The keynote speaker was former Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Nancy Keenan.

She said this election couldnt be more important for Democrats. Theres a lot at stake, she said.

Theres a Senate seat up for election that has been held by Democrats for 100 years, Keenan said.

That seat was held by former Sen. Max Baucus for the last 36 years. When he became the U.S. Ambassador to China on Feb. 6, Gov. Bullock appointed then-Lt. Gov. John Walsh to his seat.

Now, Walsh is defending that seat against U.S. Rep. Steve Daines. He must first defeat Bohlinger and Adams in the June primary to advance to the November general election.

Five Republicans and two Democrats are vying for their partys nomination for the seat.

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Truman Dinner raises $15K for Yellowstone County Democrats