November 21, 2011 08:12 PM UTC

HD 52 Race a Key Component to TBTH in 2012

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• by: Middle of the Road

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Two unexpected and welcome developments occurred on Friday in local politics–Representative Don Beezley abruptly announced he would not be running for re-election in HD33, a seat he narrowly won in 2010. His win against Dianne Primavera gave the Colorado GOP a one-seat majority in the State House. It is safe to say that this race should be on your radar as it is considered a prime pick up opportunity for Colorado Democrats in their bid to take back the House.

The second development with less fanfare but equal enthusiasm occurred in Fort Collins on Friday with the announcement from Joann Ginal that she has thrown her hat into the ring to run for Representative John Kefalas’s House seat in District 52. (Kefalas is running for retiring Senator Bob Bacon’s seat.)  

HD52 is a critical House seat for Democrats–this seat is currently in Democratic hands. If it stays in their column, chances drastically improve for retaking the majority in the House. This race depends largely on having the right candidate who can consolidate support, raise money and get out the vote for races up and down the ticket.

Joann is not another recycled party insider–she has real life experience in how to make ends meet. Her dad was a WWII vet who went on to serve as a police officer for 25 years. Her stay at home mom raised 3 children in a working class environment with the family’s focus on sending their children to college where they could earn an education in order to have better lives with better opportunities.  

She worked a minimum wage assembly line job to help put herself through school, has a Masters in Zoology and earned a Ph.D. in Reproductive Endocrinology from Colorado State University.

Notably, Joann is the first LGBT candidate to run for office in this district and is now the fourth announced openly LGBT candidate running for the legislature in 2012.

She has worked for 20 years as a scientist in medical research and has been active in local community causes for two decades. She has served for eight years with the Fort Collins Human Relations Commission and also worked as a Master Naturalist. Joann has done plenty of knocking on doors for local candidates and has a good idea of the time and dime involved in running for the State House.  

Something I find particularly fascinating is her work involving environmental issues in South America and Africa. Considering the current upheaval and future uncertainty regarding the Cache la Poudre River as well as the ongoing issues of water shortages as the Front Range expands, I was particularly impressed to note her educational work in that area–some desperately needed expertise considering the state of things in my own backyard.  

Joann has led educational expeditions for several years in the Amazon River region of South America and safaris in Africa. She has witnessed first hand the biological complexity and fragility of the earth’s rivers and forests, and will work hard in the House of Representatives to protect our ecosystems in Fort Collins and Colorado for future generations.

Within less than 72 hours, she has amassed an impressive array of endorsements as well as raise nearly $2,000 on her newly activated Act Blue Page.

A few months ago, 2009 mayoral candidate Tom Griggs announced for HD-52. Griggs’ one attempt to announce an endorsement–using Rep. Judy Solano’s name–quickly led to a public apology on his part since he hadn’t gotten her permission to do so.

In light of blunders like that, it would appear from her endorsement page that local elected officials and Democratic opinion leaders are rallying around Joann as the candidate who won’t put the seat in jeopardy of a Republican takeover.

The list is a Who’s Who of activist Democrats both locally and statewide.

Her endorsement page includes:

Randy Fischer

State Representative

Rhonda Fields

State Representative

Angie Paccione

Former Representative

Sue Schafer

State Representative

Bernie Strom

Former State Representative

Gina Janett

Former Fort Collins City Mayor Pro Tem

Susan Kirkpatrick

Former Fort Collins Mayor

Ben Manvel

Fort Collins City Councilmember

Lisa Poppaw

Fort Collins City Councilmember

Joan Shaffer

Loveland City Councilmember

Tom Balchak

Poudre School District Director

Cathy Kipp

Poudre School District Director

James Ross

Poudre School District Director

Nancy Tellez

Poudre School District Director

Guendolyn Argrow

Elaine Boni

Debra Bustos

Eliza Carney

Gordon Coombes

Deb Ellingson

Nancy Fleischhacker

Susan P. Hall

Mims Harris

Carol Henderson

KC Hogan

Gerry Horak

Karen M. Langdon

Steven Lucas

Jan Martin

Julie J. McQueen

Ann Molison

Laura Nealon

Sandra K. Russell

Paul Schnaitter

Mark Shaffer

Scott Skogerboe

Dian Sparling

Cordelia Stone

Lucin Turner

Linda Wagner

Gary Wockner

Joann Ginal’s website can be found here. Her campaign seems to be up and running full steam ahead. In the interest of full disclosure, I will be volunteering heavily on this race as I and every Democrat in this state have a vested interest in taking back the House next year. With Joann Ginal, our odds just got a whole lot better.