October 10, 2007 12:31 AM UTC

The Great Pueblo Shakeout

• 0 Comments
• by: Jeff Bridges

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

(Cross posted at State38.com.)

Earlier today ColoradoPols asked whether Dorothy Butcher would face a primary challenge from Congressman  John Salazar’s District Director Sal Pace in her race for the Colorado House.  The answer: no, because she’s running for County Commissioner instead.

Pace will run for State House, and Butcher will run for Pueblo County Commissioner.

Butcher held a fundraiser this weekend making her intentions rather clear.  The fundraiser: Dorothy Butcher for County Commissioner.  And lest ye of little faith believe she could still change her mind, those funds she raised can’t be changed over quite as easily.  As in, not at all under Colorado law (at least under my understanding of Colorado law, which isn’t quite as strong in court at Colorado law itself).  So should Butcher decide to run for State House, the money from this weekend will disappear – like former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ memory at Congressional hearings.

This means that my good friend Sal Pace will run for Butcher’s seat in House District 46.  For those who would like to donate to Sal, please visit his website here and click “Donate.”

Pace has lined up the Pueblo establishment with endorsements from his boss John Salazar, Congressman Ray Kogovsek, former State Rep Bob Jackson, and Wally and Sharon Stealey (the local water buffalos).  Frances Koncilja will host a Denver fundraiser for Pace in November.  Also of note, Pace raised $8,000 for the race in just over a month, putting him on pace (ha!) to raise about $120,000 total.

And, of course, he has an adorable new baby boy and a wonderful wife – who I hear makes a mean green chili.  Voters love that.

Butcher may have lost the vacancy appointment to replace retiring County Commissioner Loretta Kennedy, but she has a very good shot at winning a Democratic primary against the person who got the spot, John Cordova.  A large number of Pueblo county voters have already marked their X next to Butcher’s name three times since 2002, giving her far higher name ID with primary Dems.  That’s not a comment on Cordova, who’s by all accounts a fantastic guy and would make a great Commissioner, he just has a lot of ground to make up by August to even have a shot against Butcher.