Check out this email update we just got from Minority Democratic Leader Sal Pace–where the heck was this guy a week ago? A stronger statement early on the undecided nature of Rep. Debbie Benefield’s HD-29 race, along with a few others, might have made a difference; perhaps not least on the presumptuousness of now-vacationing Speaker* Frank McNulty.
Republicans are claiming victory in the State House–and are claiming a slim one-seat majority. The voters deserve better than this. They deserve to have the vote counted first!
Currently, there are thousands of outstanding ballots in key house districts that won’t be counted until early next week. It is presumptuous and disrespectful for Republicans to close the door on thousands of Colorado citizens who have exercised their right to vote. Democrats will honor the vote.
Right now, in HD-29, Rep. Debbie Benefield is down by 208 votes in the preliminary tally-with at least 687 uncounted ballots in that district. Our analysis shows that this race remains too close to call. There are simply too many uncounted votes for Republicans to shut the door on the democratic process. I want you to know that we are going to use every resource to make sure that these ballots are counted and counted correctly. I am calling on the Republicans to take this same pledge to honor the will of the people.
It is the voters who deserve to have the last word in this election!
With the HD-29 race still too close to call, the State House chamber stands at 32 Democrats and 32 Republicans. The outcome of the HD-29 count will be a pivotal moment in Colorado’s history. It will decide the majority just ahead of Congressional redistricting. It will decide whether Governor Hickenlooper will have a legislature that will work together to fix Colorado’s budget-or an ideologically-driven and obstructionist Republican majority that refuses to solve problems. As caucus leader, I am committed to ensuring that we do everything possible to protect the integrity of the vote.
Therefore, I have directed the House Majority Project to do everything possible to support Rep. Benefield’s re-election as the votes are counted, and to prepare for a possible recount…
Now that sounds like a man who wants to be Speaker of the House. Again, we don’t know who was deciding things in the critical couple of days after the election, when the spin was in the formative stages and Democratic leaders were congratulating McNulty on taking control, but if anything they should have stayed consistently with what they’re saying now. Being on the side of “every vote counts” is ethically as well as politically preferable, not to mention the uncertainty highlights the narrow majority Republicans are operating with–assuming they have one at all.
But belatedly or not, until this outcome is no longer arithmetically in doubt it doesn’t look like Pace wants you to get too comfortable with those new committee names.
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Go Sal!
I agree. Good work Rep. Pace.
The week of allowing Republicans to throw their perceived weight around with partisan game-playing is what you call “giving them enough rope to hang themselves.”
Go Sal.
Bennefield would have to get 65% of the remaining vote to win. If this were HD 6 or 8 (or South Chicago) –that would be a reasonable scenario. Otherwise, she has has much chance at winning,now, as Maes had a couple weeks ago.
Still a long shot but possible. I would LMAO if she won and we got to rename the house committees.
The GOP faithful have a new cause celebre to fight for over the next week or so – State House majority control.
This is Sal’s way of wrming up for a run against Tipton for Congress in two years. Start showing some spine and kickin’ some righty ass is a great way to get early support.
…and Sal becomes Speaker, would that potentially deter him from making a run for CD-3?
There have been numerous recounts in Jefferson County and the results never change by more than one or two votes.
With only 687 ballots left to count and the likelihood that many will be disallowed there is no way that Benefield is going to win. It is a good fund raising letter but no one should get their hopes up