Eidness Drops Out of CD-4 Race

by: Colorado Pols

Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 17:08:02 PM MDT

And then there was one.

Just one week after Democrat Angie Paccione ended her campaign for congress in CD-4, former Republican Reform Party candidate turned Democrat Eric Eidsness pulled his well-traveled hat out of the ring.

As The Fort Collins Coloradoan reports:

Eric Eidsness abandoned his bid for Northern Colorado's Democratic congressional nomination, apparently clearing the way for Betsy Markey to challenge Republican incumbent Marilyn Musgrave next November.

"The hand writing is on the wall and I see it is not my time to be elected to national office to represent (Colorado's 4th Congressional District)," Eidsness said in a prepared statement. "While my populist message appeals to a broad range of voters, particularly in the more rural areas, I do not have the support I will need here in Larimer County to win the Democratic nomination."

You can file that quote away in the "No Shit" department. Eidsness pulled a hefty 11% of the vote in 2006 as a Reform Party candidate - one of the best third party showings in years - but he was going to have a hell of a time getting on the ballot as a Democrat because he switches parties more often than Paris Hilton.

The Democratic nomination seems secure for Betsy Markey...for now. But if Markey reports another weak quarter of fundraising, the door may be open for another Democrat to enter.

Who Will Win? (CD4)

by: Colorado Pols

Wed Sep 26, 2007 at 13:41:13 PM MDT

Now that Angie Paccione is out of the race in CD-4, it's time to update the poll question for our annual "Who Will Win" query.

Last month we asked about the primary, and you overwhelmingly picked Paccione to defeat Betsy Markey. Now it's time for the general election.

Remember, we want to know who you think will win the race - not who you support.

BREAKING: Paccione Exits Race in CD-4

by: Colorado Pols

Wed Sep 26, 2007 at 11:31:03 AM MDT

Democrat Angie Paccione has just announced that she will no longer be a candidate for congress in CD-4, which should essentially guarantee the nomination for Betsy Markey. Paccione is giving up her campaign in order to work full-time for an organization called Pathways to Leadership.

This is a huge development, because Paccione would have been a heavy favorite to win the Democratic nomination next August; her fundraising and name ID gave her a significant advantage over Markey.

Click below for the full press release from Paccione.

CD-4 Back in Top 10 Nationally...But Should It Be?

by: Colorado Pols

Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 14:38:54 PM MDT

According to The Washington Post blog "The Fix":

So here's our shot at the top 10 House races in the country today. The contest ranked number one is the most likely to switch parties in 2008. The comments section awaits your kudos and criticisms.

To the Line!

10. Colorado's 4th District (Currently R): Every election we look at the strong Republican performance of this district and conclude that there is no way Rep. Marilyn Musgrave can lose the seat. And every election she barely manages to win. This time we won't be fooled. Democrats are heavily targeting this race and Musgrave has proven that she underperforms in this eastern Colorado seat. Angie Paccione, the Democrat who lost to Musgrave by less than 6,000 votes in 2006, is back for another race but faces a serious primary challenge from Betsy Markey, a former aide to Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) Salazar has already endorsed Markey, which could well give her a leg up in the primary. This race shouldn't be close given the district's demographics but it will be.

The race in CD-4 will probably be close again, but it's doubtful that it will be as narrowly-decided as it was when Musgrave edged Paccione last fall. 2006 was probably the Democrats' best chance to win this seat.

Musgrave has worked hard to change her image after national Republicans finally soured on spending so much money to defend a seat that should be safely Republican. There are still 57,000 more registered Republicans in CD-4 than Democrats, and a softer, more moderate Musgrave is going to be a lot tougher to knock off than she was this time last year. A rational Republican should never lose in this Republican district, and there's no denying that Musgrave has gotten good press lately for her change of face.

In 2006 it looked like Democrats had a great chance to pull the upset here. That's just not the case anymore, especially when Democrats are going to spend a lot of money just trying to get through a primary.

Salazar to Endorse Betsy Markey

by: Colorado Pols

Tue Aug 21, 2007 at 14:32:49 PM MDT

Senator Ken Salazar is reportedly set to endorse Betsy Markey in CD-4 as she attempts to beat out Angie Paccione and Eric Eidsness in a Democratic primary.

As the Rocky Mountain News reports:

U.S. senators traditionally don't pick favorites in contested primary races but to no one's surprise Ken Salazar is making an exception.

Salazar on Wednesday will officially endorse his former staffer, Betsy Markey, one of three Democrats running for Congress in 2008 in the 4th Congressional District.

Markey served as Salazar's regional director in the 4th District after the Denver Democrat was elected to the Senate in 2004. She resigned in May to run for Congress.

Salazar's endorsement is a huge lift to a thus-far lagging campaign for Markey, who raised a paltry $36,000 in Q2 and badly needs something like this to give her candidacy some momentum.

Big Bird Endorses Paccione, Or Something

by: Colorado Pols

Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 15:24:34 PM MDT

In Colorado we've seen candidates get followed around by a man (or woman) dressed as a chicken or a duck, but Big Bird?

Check out the convoluted and campy press release issued by the Angie Paccione campaign for congress, by which Rep. Marilyn Musgrave - called "Oscar the Grouch" (drum, drum, cymbal) - is apparently being followed around by Big Bird. This sounds pretty silly, but we're intrigued to know where you would get a full Big Bird costume.

Paccione Announces Campaign Team

by: Colorado Pols

Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 09:39:24 AM MDT

According to a press release:

Angie Paccione’s 2008 congressional campaign has begun to take shape with the announcement that three key consulting firms have signed on.  Welchert & Britz, Inc will be the campaign’s general management consultants.  The Feldman Group has been hired for polling, research and strategy and Karen Petel of The Mack Crounse Group has agreed to craft the candidate’s direct mail.

Paccione seems to be doing a better job of organizing her campaign team this time around. Her 2006 campaign, led by Gary Chandler, didn't have the kind of experience that Paccione probably needed.

Click below for the full press release...

"New Angie" Good Enough for "New Marilyn"?

by: Colorado Pols

Fri Jun 22, 2007 at 09:19:33 AM MDT

We've seen the "new Marilyn Musgrave" in recent months, as the GOP congresswoman tries to revamp her image before the national Republican Party finally tires of her act in CD-4. In the meantime, it seems we're also seeing the "new Angie Paccione" as her former Democratic opponent makes changes of her own. But while Musgrave may be making changes at the right time, Paccione may be altering her style a little too late.

The Rocky Mountain Chronicle has a long article about how longtime Democrats are openly supporting Democrat Betsy Markey over Paccione in a primary, and curiously, they aren’t pulling many punches:

“I think Angie Paccione has some baggage issues,” says [Stan] Matsunaka, referring to the personal finance and bankruptcy problems that Musgrave featured in attack ads last fall…

…“I don’t know if anything is going to change by throwing all that money in there again,” Matsunaka adds. “People want to ride a different horse to victory.”

Others claim nothing personal against Paccione. Yet they simultaneously express a desire to “move on” and support a candidate they hope will finally color the district blue for the first time since 1972.

“Angie ran a really good campaign and worked very hard at it, but it didn’t appear as though she had the necessary qualities in order to get a majority of the votes,” [Bob] Bacon says. “I’m hoping that perhaps with a new face and different characteristics, [Democrats] will be more successful this time.”

“I’m not sure that Angie could have done anything differently,” [Pam] Shaddock adds. When Paccione lost, “my feeling was maybe she’s not the candidate for this particular race.”

The confidence in another Paccione candidacy was so eroded that Sen. Ken Salazar personally asked her not to run in a conversation held about two months ago. Paccione obviously ignored that request, and since then Salazar’s Northern Colorado Director, Betsy Markey, has formally entered the race.

After coming close to defeating Musgrave last fall, Paccione has tried to make changes to a campaign structure that may have made her as many enemies as friends among Democrats. Former campaign manager Gary Chandler alienated virtually everyone he came into contact with and was roundly criticized during and after the campaign. For this race, Paccione has brought on longtime operative Steve Welchert as her general consultant. Paccione addressed the need to make changes in an email sent to supporters last week:

Paccione Makes Push for Support

by: Colorado Pols

Fri May 25, 2007 at 11:31:54 AM MDT

Democrat Angie Paccione has come out of the gates with an organized effort in her bid to be the Democratic nominee in CD-4. Click below for the text of an e-mail she sent out to supporters yesterday.

Two Democrats Eyeing Musgrave

by: Colorado Pols

Wed Apr 18, 2007 at 11:36:41 AM MDT

From Colorado Confidential:

The list starts with Paccione, and according to a longtime Larimer County Democrat and volunteer for Paccione's 2006 campaign: "She's 95 percent in the race. My gut feeling is that she is going to run.

"I think she's going to come forward sometime in the next 30 days."

This Democratic source, who wished to remain anonymous speaking about potential candidates in CD-4, says that Paccione would start over fresh and has already decided that if she runs, "About 90 percent of the people who were involved with her last campaign will not be back."

The other name to watch in CD-4 is Betsy Markey, Regional Director for Sen. Ken Salazar's North Central office.

"I think Salazar really is pushing her, to be honest," says the source. "She hasn't denied that she's looking at it, and I've noticed her getting involved in some stuff."

In addition to working for Salazar, Markey does have strong local ties; she was the 2004 Chair of the Larimer County Democrats.