DENVER – Riding the Democratic wave that swept the nation, Rep. Mark Udall advanced to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating Republican Bob Schaffer after a bitter contest for Colorado’s open seat.

With 78 percent of the statewide vote counted, Udall led Schaffer, a former three-term congressman from Fort Collins, 53-43 percent.

In El Paso County, with 99.2 percent of precincts reporting, Schaffer got 93,725 votes, or 54.75%, Udall got 68,582 votes, or 40.06%, Bob Kinsey got 3,109 votes, or 1.82%, and Douglas Campbell got 5,502 , or 3.21%.

By succeeding the retiring Wayne Allard, a Republican, Udall’s victory increased the Democrats’ caucus in the Senate to at least 56 seats, closer to the 60 seats that would give President-elect Barack Obama a veto-proof majority for the change he has promised to bring to America.

Udall took the stage at 8:30 p.m. before an exultant crowd at the Sheraton in downtown Denver to claim victory. “Can you feel the winds of change blowing here in Colorado?” he asked.

“For once I’m not kidding,” Udall said, alluding to one of his campaign ads. “We’ve won the United States Senate.”

With Betsy Markey’s victory over Marilyn Musgrave in the Second Congressional District, Colorado’s delegation in Washington now consists of seven Democrats and two Republicans. The split had been 5-4.

In his victory speech, Udall was gracious toward Schaffer, whose campaign incessantly described the Democrat as “Boulder Liberal Mark Udall,” a tax-and-spender and a fan of big government.

“It’s been a hard-fought battle,” Udall said, “and I know that Bob and I share a common goal for America. We want an America that’s strong, that’s free and that’s respected, so my respect goes out to Congressman Schaffer.”

Udall, a five-term congressman from Eldorado Springs, made clear he wants to turn the page on the bitterness of the campaign.

“I want to quote Teddy Roosevelt, who said, ‘The most practical kind of politics are the politics of decency,'” Udall said. “I intend to practice the politics of decency here in Colorado and in the United States Senate.”

When Udall takes office in January, Colorado will have two Democratic U.S. senators for the first time since Floyd Haskell and Gary Hart served together from 1975 to 1979.

“Is all of Colorado Springs in shock?” asked Hart, now a scholar in residence at the University of Colorado-Denver. He had this message for Colorado Republicans: “Not to worry, it’s going to be OK.”

“Contrary to what his opponents have been saying, he is not left, or certainly not far left,” Hart said of Udall. “I think anybody who’s met him or talked to him knows he going to be very well-liked in the Senate, and he will get along very, very well with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.”

“He’ll be fine. The state will be fine. We’ll be well represented,” Hart said. “Leaving aside my own partisan views, I think it will be a good thing for the state.”

U.S. Sen.-elect Mark Udall, right, joins his wife, Maggie Fox, in greeting supporters as they celebrate during the Democrats’ gala in Denver on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. Photo by (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)