June 30, 2011 09:07 PM UTC

Miklosi to Take On Coffman?

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• by: Colorado Pols

That’s the word today from Lynn Bartels at the Denver newspaper’s blog, confirming a not-very-well-kept secret that Democratic state Rep. Joe Miklosi is weighing a challenge for Mike Coffman’s CD-6 seat. Rep. Miklosi is not yet term limited in his state house seat, so this isn’t a must-make decision for him at this point in his career, but he apparently plans to make a decision in the next week or so.

Depending on what happens to Rep. Coffman’s district in the upcoming court battle over congressional redistricting, a run against Coffman in 2012 could be a very lucrative opportunity for a Democrat. As Bartels recounts and we’ve discussed in this space, CD-6 needs to shed some 80,000 residents to get back into population balance with Colorado’s other districts. Obviously, who those 80,000 residents wind up being is critical to how competitive a district CD-6 will be for the next ten years–and how serious a Democratic run for the seat could truly be.

What we know of Rep. Miklosi suggests that he is interested in actual contention, not a placeholder also-ran in a safe Republican district. Miklosi’s resume in nonprofit work and political organizing prior to the legislature sets him apart from less-serious Democratic candidates in CD-6 we’ve seen in recent years. If the district does emerge competitive–and it would need to be much more competitive than it is today–then Miklosi could pose a serious threat.