"Malibu Cowgirl" Campaign, Anyone?

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by: Colorado Pols

An interesting story out of Trinidad today, courtesy the Denver Direct blog:

Representative Wes McKinley, (D) Walsh, is running for re-election to his 4th, term-limited stint. As usual, he visits local fairs and celebrations to talk to his constituents. His Republican opponent this time is Lisa Kellogg, a California lawyer who visited Colorado as a child, and now claims an address in Walsenburg. It’s hard to figure out what the heck she is doing in HD64…

Kellogg, who had earlier categorized McKinley as an “entertainer” and a “character”, apparently has decided that she needed an entertainer of her own. Her campaign spent $1000 to hire actor Ermal Williamson to travel from his home in Branson, Missouri to Trinidad to campaign on her behalf. Despite not really looking like “the Duke”, Ermal did his best to imitate John Wayne’s style and walk. His comments to McKinley were really over the top, as when he confronted McKinley face-to-face, when leaving the rodeo earlier, about his “court date” for being “found guilty of sexual harassment.” When I talked to Ermal, he denied making those comments, and didn’t even know what House District Kellogg was running in…

Kellogg’s entry into HD64 politics reportedly has some local Republicans scared. Some have contacted McKinley with offers to help defeat her with funding and advertising. The citizens of HD64, who elected McKinley in 2008 with 76% of the vote, are apparently not falling for the California hype. Some think it’s funny, but others are incensed, calling it degrading.

Bad John Wayne impersonators on the campaign trail are one thing, and obviously we can’t verify anything asserted here about Republicans offering to help defeat her, but we did a little homework on Lisa Grace Kellogg, and she’s kind of an interesting case. Kellogg is married to a judge in California, Michael Kellogg, who is himself up for re-election this year. Lisa Grace Kellogg is in fact registered to vote both in Walsenburg and her Agoura Hills, California address. Kellogg and her husband, neither of whom have any real roots in the state, bought the local newspaper, the Huerfano World–and reportedly moved the newsroom to California before selling the paper back to local owners. The new owners immediately rectified this situation.

A July, 2008 article in the World says that “the couple also has a ranch in Malibu, where they spend most of their time.” In January, Ms. Kellogg made a donation to Bob McConnell’s congressional campaign, and listed her California residence as her address–months after she had filed to run for the Colorado legislature. According to Denver Direct, Kellogg has barely raised $1,000 in campaign contributions, with the vast majority of her $50,000 coming from her own pocket.

Rep. Wes McKinley, who we’ve extolled in this space as the “Cowboy Democrat” important to the party’s rural success, has had a little trouble recently, the details of which have not been fully disclosed. But for the real-deal McKinley to be up against a candidate so inauthentic that she has to fly in a John Wayne impersonator, has no real support whatsoever (that shows up on the bottom line, anyway), and can’t decide if she’d rather be known as a resident of Walsenburg where she’s running for office, or Malibu where she spends “most of her time,” could be a lucky break.

21 thoughts on ““Malibu Cowgirl” Campaign, Anyone?”

onebigrepublican says:

September 16, 2010 at 11:56 pm

blog than the articles that have been running about that poor slouch Wes. He was a novelty in Denver at first, but I think most SE CO folks realize that has warn off. He will win, but his political career is over, and that’s a good thing!

Give me Lisa’s headlines over Rep. Red Neck any day!

http://www.chieftain.com/news/…

http://chieftain.com/news/loca…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…

http://debtreductionus.com/hea…

http://facethestate.com/articl…

http://www.statebillnews.com/2…

http://www.lajuntatribunedemoc…

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1. JeffcoBlue says:
  
  September 17, 2010 at 3:07 am
  
  I just realized that you linked to a SPAM BLOG. Nice! You could make a few more and your list could be even longer!
  
  BTW, if you have to say you’re “big…”
  
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  1. JeffcoBlue says:
    
    September 17, 2010 at 3:18 am
    
    To Face the State, which only Democrats read to laugh at Brad Jones. I mean the other spam blog.
    
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davebarnes says:

September 17, 2010 at 12:16 am

Why is she running?

HD-64 is in the middle of nowhere.

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onebigrepublican says:

September 17, 2010 at 12:27 am

don’t deserve representation at the Colorado State House?

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1. davebarnes says:
  
  September 17, 2010 at 12:41 am
  
  What I was implying is that if you going to invade the state, this is not where you are going to build a large power base.
  
  According to everything that I could find, she still owns 31220 Lobo Canyon Rd, Agoura Hills, CA. Zillow thinks it is worth $750K.
  
  Kellogg, Michael K. (OAK, DEN, 1971). He played for the Denver Broncos in 1971.
  
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  1. JeffcoBlue says:
    
    September 17, 2010 at 1:18 am
    
    I hate to even mention this, but how many decades older is he than she is?
    
    Older men can be real control freaks.
    
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  2. windbourne says:
    
    September 17, 2010 at 11:39 am
    
    he played for the broncos in 66, and 67.
    
    http://www.usafootball.com/art…
    
    What is interesting is that he describes playing for them from 65-68. Basically, he lies to make it sound like he was with the broncos for 4 years.
    
    Yet, here is his record:
    
    http://www.sportspool.com/foot…
    
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    1. onebigrepublican says:
      
      September 21, 2010 at 6:36 pm
      
      I how many legislators own second homes? I myself own a couple of homes, and I am registered to vote in the county in which I was born.
      
      As far as his record with the Broncos, who gives a shit?
      
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      1. windbourne says:
        
        September 29, 2010 at 5:18 am
        
        why lie about it? That does him no good. I point out the record to show his years of playing withe the team.
        
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Muhammad Ali Hasan says:

September 17, 2010 at 12:51 am

Clearly, CODA has decided that Lisa is a threat

The truth on Lisa Grace Kellogg –

1. She owns a ranch in Southern Colorado and has lived there for quite awhile

2. She purchased Huerfano County’s daily newspaper, saved it from closing down, and turned it back into a profitable paper, preserving a needed voice of journalism in a community that is often ignored by journalistic elites like the Denver Pravda

3. Lisa’s husband played for the Broncos – overall, both their Colorado roots run deep

Lisa is my friend and she loves Southern Colorado – she’s going to make a terrific Rep

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1. Libertad 2.0 says:
  
  September 17, 2010 at 12:55 am
  
  going to be her legislative aide?
  
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2. Eric4CD4 says:
  
  September 17, 2010 at 1:03 am
  
  Her husband holds office in California, and their primary home is in Malibu. Plus Lisa has never even voted in Colorado before.
  
  As you know personally, throwing a lot of money around doesn’t buy authenticity.
  
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  1. parsingreality says:
    
    September 17, 2010 at 2:27 am
    
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3. JeffcoBlue says:
  
  September 17, 2010 at 1:05 am
  
  I respectfully submit that you may not be the best judge of the qualifications of a wealthy California resident running for Colorado elected office.
  
  Just sayin’ brother. Keep it real.
  
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4. Car 31 says:
  
  September 17, 2010 at 1:34 am
  
  ’cause a cattle turd would have a better chance of winning.
  
  That’s not a dig on Rep. McKinley, although I’m sure there’s a song in there for him somewhere…
  
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  1. Muhammad Ali Hasan says:
    
    September 17, 2010 at 3:50 am
    
    …and I’ve found Lisa to be very sincere – when she gets her chance, she will shine
    
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    1. Ralphie says:
      
      September 17, 2010 at 4:22 am
      
      and “Colorado Resident” are two different things.
      
      I’m glad you find her someone that will help mom and dad hang on to all their wealth and not share it with actual Real People.
      
      But she’s not from around here.
      
      Can you say “mercenary?”
      
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5. windbourne says:
  
  September 17, 2010 at 11:27 am
  
  First, Mike Kellogg played in 66,67 and then left the state for CA.
  
  Now, as to Lisa, she says that she will cut taxes in a state that already has a large deficit.
  
  She says that she is opposed to regulations, yet says that she is for protecting water (regulations).
  
  So, in a state that has no money and for 12 years has not addressed our growing water issue, she will cut income and regs, but will solve the water issues.
  
  Thinking in terms of reagan, and W screaming about a need for a balanced budgets, do you see a little issue here?
  
  I do.
  
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Gray in Mountains says:

September 17, 2010 at 4:53 am

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1. Phoenix Rising says:
  
  September 17, 2010 at 4:57 am
  
  Though that’s just a matter of a records search to see if she’s registered in the state. I’m guessing a complaint noting that she’s still registered in California and made that donation after becoming a CO legislative candidate might get her pulled from the ballot, though.
  
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