August 05, 2015 12:46 PM UTC

Strong Democratic Challenge Sets Up In Key State Senate Race

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Denver Post’s John Frank reports–after a heartbreaking narrow loss in 2012, Democrats are once again hopeful for a shot at picking up GOP Sen. Larry Crowder’s SD-35 seat with a strong new challenger–Las Animas County Sheriff Jim Casias:

The Democratic sheriff is a top recruit in the party’s plans to regain power in the Senate, where Republicans took a one-seat majority in the 2014 elections and served as a blockade for numerous bills backed by the Democratic House and Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Casias, 67, is one of the 55 sheriffs who filed suit against Hickenlooper in 2013 to fight tougher gun control laws, among those dubbed “heroes” by a conservative website. He also served as president of the County Sheriffs of Colorado Association in 2014…

To further distance himself from Denver, Casias is likely to make his challenge of the gun laws a prominent point in his campaign. He supports a repeal of the large ammunition magazine restrictions but supports background checks, Short said. [Pols emphasis]

In 2012, Larry Crowder unexpectedly defeated Democrat Crestina Martinez for this seat, which became highly competitive following legislative reapportionment the previous year. Martinez’s defeat led to a long period of introspection for Democrats in southern Colorado, a process that continues to this day as former strongholds like Pueblo adapt to changing politics in Denver–and Denver Democrats re-evaluate their message to better appeal to their base in other parts of the state.

Casias arguably represents the product of that new strategy–a well-known candidate with deep ties to the community who also has a demonstrable independent streak. Like Sen. Kerry Donovan on the Western Slope, Casias has a nuanced position on the 2013 gun laws that will appeal to voters who dislike them–in particular the much-maligned magazine limit law–while at the same time defending the universal gun background checks that were always the highest priority.

As for Crowder, his four years in the Senate have produced a number of liabilities that a strong opponent can exploit, including voting against rural broadband, affordable housing, and senior services–and above all voting to mess with retirement benefits for the significant number of PERA retirees in this district.

All of which adds up to a potent challenge from Democrats, in a competitive race key to retaking the Colorado Senate in 2016.