May 15, 2007 05:33 PM UTC

Brandon Shaffer To Angie Paccione: Step Aside

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• by: Colorado Pols

As the Fort Collins Coloradoan reports:

Longmont Democrat and state Sen. Brandon Shaffer announced Monday his plans to enter the 2008 race to challenge Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave for the 4th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Shaffer didn’t waste time Monday trying to clear the field of potential primary contenders, including Fort Collins resident Angie Paccione, who narrowly lost to Marilyn Musgrave in 2006.

“Angie is a friend of mine, but the Democrats may not have an opportunity to win this seat again, and we need to make sure we have the best possible candidate to go up against Marilyn Musgrave,” Shaffer said. “I would hope that Angie would put her personal ambitions aside so the Democrats will have the best shot at the race with the best candidate, and I think that is me.”

Paccione said Monday that Shaffer’s announcement will not change her plans to run again and that she will have more information on her campaign in the coming weeks. Paccione filed paperwork in April with the Federal Election Commission documenting a payment of $6,500 for a political consultant named Gary Chandler.

“Brandon is a good man and a rising star in the state Senate,” Paccione said. “I believe with all my heart in democracy, and I welcome Brandon, Betsy Markey and Eric Eidsness, but I am still in the race as well.”

After watching GOP Senate hopeful Scott McInnis impale himself in the same presumptuous way, this ought to be fun–unless you’re a Democrat, in which case it might be a little painful.

Who will walk away with the “aura of inevitability” prize? Since a covert race to line up key donors usually decides these things without your help, we’ll let you weigh in with a poll (follows).

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