May 31, 2012 07:20 PM UTC

John Kidd Set to Win HD-1 Republican Primary

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• by: Colorado Pols

Despite the fact that it is “mathematically impossible” for a Republican to win in Denver’s House District 1, the seat has nonetheless drawn two Republican challengers: John Kidd and James Wildt.

According to recently-filed finance reports, however, it’s as if Wildt isn’t a candidate at all. The accountant has raised a mere $1,240 since the campaign’s outset, and he’s spent nearly every dime of that and more.

Kidd hasn’t brought in much more than Wildt — raising only $1,660 — but the businessman seems to have his heart set on winning the seat, having loaned himself $15,500. That loan should be more than enough to secure him the Republican nomination, but it’s an oddity: why would anyone loan their campaign money — money that can only be repaid from other funds raised — for a race they’re certain to lose? Neither Democrat boasts remarkable fundraising numbers, but the district’s demographics utterly preclude Kidd from winning no matter how much money he funnels into his campaign coffers. It’s unlikely, in fact, that Kidd will even raise enough money to repay his loan.

It’s a strange race. In many ways, Wildt is a more natural Republican candidate for such a heavily Democratic seat — a homeowner’s association president who seems to really care about the area and posts goofily charming pictures of his dogs on his website. Any Republican in the district would be a sacrificial lamb, but Wildt is running less because he wants to win, it seems, and more because he honestly believes “in the true Republican tradition of limited government.” His entire candidacy is summed up in his campy campaign slogan: “Let’s take back House District 1…Vote for Jim and Together We’ll Win.” Jim won’t win, but he’ll have hell of a fun time in the process of losing.

Kidd’s whole candidacy, on the other hand, seems rather odd. The insurance salesman is either wholly convinced he can spend enough of his personal wealth to win the race or views the campaign as some sort of cure-all for a mid-life crisis. His website is peppered with photos of Kidd posing with a few notable Republican politicians, and it appears that Kidd really invested some time and rhetoric into his “issues” page. He’s a surprisingly credible candidate, but that doesn’t change the fact that he cannot win the seat. Perhaps he views even the Republican nomination — which is a lock — as a crowning achievement to his career in business and volunteer service. Either that or he’s delusional enough to spend money and time on a race which would make even Don Quixote think twice.