Mr. Salazar's brother, John, who is a congressman, as well as fellow Representative Ed Perlmutter and Mayor John Hickenlooper of Denver, were all widely viewed as strong possibilities.
He is young (41), clever (a former Rhodes scholar), and experienced (he has run various bits of the state and federal government and served as a congressman, as well as working as a McKinsey consultant).
The exposure brought an added level of scrutiny to the congressman, as well, stirring up reports of an ongoing child support battle in which his ex-wife accuses him of owing her more than $117,000.
In so doing, Mr Ellison will almost certainly become America's first Muslim congressman, as well as the first black to represent anywhere in Minnesota.In this once lily-white Lutheran state, these two events point to deep changes.
But in the 2008 election, a former Georgia Congressman, as well as a Senate candidate, changed all that.
In another, Trump described the congressman as "Benghazi loser Gowdy".
At Sylvia's, a sign described the congressman as "The Lion of Lenox Avenue".
He even referred to Lindsey Graham, then a congressman, as "Congressman Lindsey".
A coalition of black leaders chose Danny Davis, a congressman, as their "consensus" candidate.
He has less acrimonious relations with Mr. Romney, who hasn't attacked the libertarian congressman as vehemently as some other rivals.
