Denver Line Updated: New Opponent for Pat Steadman
We’ve updated the Denver Line to the left to include the SD-31 race between incumbent State Senator Pat Steadman and GOP opponent Michael Carr.
Steadman originally faced a nominal challenge from Republican Brandon Kelley. Kelley withdrew his candidacy in June, leaving Denver Republicans with an empty spot on the ballot. Late last month, however, a Republican vacancy committee convened and appointed recent Colorado transplant Michael Carr as its party’s candidate for the seat.
Carr — like Steadman — is gay, and earlier this year led the ultimately unsuccessful fight to incorporate support for the Colorado Civil Unions act as an official plank of the Denver Republican Party. Although the first-time candidate stands no chance of defeating one of the state’s highest-profile and hardest-working state senators, the fact that both the Democratic and Republican candidates are LGBT activists is novel, at the very least.
From OutFront Colorado:
A Colorado Republican vacancy committee is scheduled Saturday to interview – and is expected to appoint – a Denver gay man in order to fill an empty position on the November ballot.
“This is not a district that is considered Republican friendly,” said Alexander Hornaday, an attorney consulting Carr on election law and finances. “But even if Michael doesn’t win, I’m excited to show my fellow Republicans that you can be a good Republican, a loyal Republican and a gay Republican.”
Denver GOP Chairwoman Wendy Warner said she isn’t concerned with Carr’s sexual orientation.
“Mr. Carr’s sexual orientation is not our focus,” she said. “Our focus needs to be on economic issues. Some big decisions have to be made next year and we need strong, prudent and fiscal conservatives in the state legislature.”
Warner said in her three decades of politics she’s seen Republicans win Denver seats and she thinks with the right ground game it can happen again.
“It’s not impossible,” she said. “It’s a good year for Republicans.”
“I’m anxious to have candidates that are ready to run,” she continued. “It takes a lot of effort to be a Republican in Denver. It will take a lot of hard work, but I’ve heard Mr. Carr might be that type of person.”
Carr may indeed be “that type of person,” but it won’t matter. Steadman has been an incredibly responsive legislator — he’s as popular in his district as he is notable across the state. And while Carr’s support of marriage equality could help him come across as a moderate in the left-leaning Denver district, it patently does not help him earn votes in his race against one of Colorado’s most tenacious LGBT advocates.
Moreover, the Republican candidate at the the top of the ticket is an outspoken opponent of both gay marriage and civil unions. Not only can’t Carr win in his race against Steadman, then, he may also struggle in turning out votes for Mitt Romney.
Then again, given that 3/4 of Coloradans support either gay marriage or civil unions, perhaps Carr will be instrumental in reminding members of his own party that not all Republicans are socially-conservative reactionaries.