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November 18, 2008 08:12 PM UTC

Romanoff, Rodriguez, Buescher Lead SoS Pack

  • 71 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

As the Rocky Mountain News reports:

At least seven people, including three state lawmakers, an elections official, a TV host, a Republican county clerk and a Democratic activist, have applied for the Colorado secretary of state job.

Secretary of State Mike Coffman won election in the 6th Congressional District and will replace Rep. Tom Tancredo.

Gov. Bill Ritter will appoint Coffman’s successor after a commission reviews the applications and winnows the candidates to three finalists.

The applications were due by 5 p.m. Monday, and Ritter is expected to make the decision by the end of this year.

The applicants:

* Former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff.

* State Rep. Bernie Buescher.

* Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon.

* Rosemary Rodriguez, chairwoman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

* Gilpin County Clerk Jessica Lovingier.

* TV show host Aaron Harber.

* Dan Willis, secretary for the Democratic Party in Denver.

With a tip of the hat to our resident applicant, most would agree that Buescher and Romanoff are the two standouts on this list–and a cursory look at the pros and cons of each suggests that Buescher would be the strongest candidate to hold the seat for Democrats in 2010. Political considerations notwithstanding (as if), Rodriguez is also very well-qualified for the position.

As for Aaron Harber…what?

Additional commentary here.

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71 thoughts on “Romanoff, Rodriguez, Buescher Lead SoS Pack”

  1. in the pack, Lovingier, is announcing her intentions to seek the office in 2010 ahead of the pack…

    From a qualified standpoint, I think that Rodriguez stands above the crowd.  From a hold-the-job-in-two-years standpont Buescher or Romanoff stand to the front of the pack.

    From a “let’s hear it for our buddy” standpoint, Dan Willis, stands head and shoulders above the bunch!

    1. and would be very concerned if she was appointed to the position.  The has the ambition of Palin with fewer skills.

      I would like to see Joan FitzGerald on the list.  She would make a good SOS.

  2. would be the best choice for this.  Romanoff would be great but I know this is not his passion and he is only taking it because it is all he can get right now.  We need to send Mr. Romanoff to Washington.  Bernie, on the other hand, has had loads of experience working in Colorado and was ED of Healthcare Policy and Financing under Romer.  I think he could easily and naturally assume this role in addition to the fact that he would also hold the seat in two years which I am not so sure Romanoff could do quite as well.

    1.    The way things look now, at least three members of the Dem statewide ticket in ’10 (Ritter, O’Brien and Kennedy) are from Denver and the presumptive fourth candidate (Don Quick) is from Adams County.

        Gordon, Romanoff, Rodriguez and Dan Willis (no offense, Dan) would all serve to make the ticket more Denver-centric than it already is.

        Should geography be a factor?

      1. I would say that the Dems should definitely be worried about balance on statewide offices.  But really, people out of the front range would appreciate getting the services more than anything.

          2. Sorry to break it to you, but there aren’t enough swing voters here (I live in Durango) to give any statewide politician (Ritter or any SoS appointee) reason to cater to the western slope. I agree that Bernie is a talented and well-qualified individual, but to say that he should be appointed because he is from the western slope is a) undermining his individual aforementioned qualities and b) politically stupid.

      3. It isn’t about “needing” the Western Slope to win statewide – it’s about acknowledging there’s more to the state than the Denver Metro area . . . and there’s a whole lot of talent all over the place.  Frankly, non-Metro-area folks know much more about Denver area talent than the reverse, IMO.

  3. look like the two on this list that have the best chance of getting this, for a variety of reaons, although from what I understand Ritter doesn’t dig Gordon, so that may take him out of the running. Kind of a shame, if that’s the case, because he has serious statewide recognition now that he ran for the seat in 2006, while Bernie isn’t nearly as well known.  

    1.    He came within 8,000 votes or so of being elected Lt. Guv in ’98 with Gail Schoettler.

        Unfortunately, he has the dubious distinction of having lost to Joe Rogers in that race.

      1. Good info, Dude. Thank you. To be honest, I had never heard of him until he ran for the State House. Then again, I didn’t pay much attention for the first several years I lived here so the onus is on me.

        I guess that changes the way I view how well he would do. It kind of moves him up to the top of the list for me.

      2. Even though Gov and Lt. Gov were separately nominated in the primary phase at the time (a practice since abolished), in the general they ran as a ticket.

        Very few people considered either Buescher or Rogers as an important factor in that Gubinatorial race.

  4. The Democrats have an embarrassment of riches in the applicants for this post; however, Rosemary Rodriguez is the clear choice for this position.  

    First, Rodriguez is the most qualified in the area of election administration.  She is the only Democratic applicant that has practical experience managing elections at the County level with her experience as Denver County Clerk and Recorder.  She is the only candidate with Federal experience managing a staff that implements the Help America Vote Act.  She is a national expert in the administration of fair and transparent elections.  Competence is an attribute sorely lacking and Rodriguez has it in spades.

    Second, of the applicants Rodriguez is the most advantageous from a political point of view.  As Ritter runs statewide, he needs help turning out the Democratic base.  Rodriguez is a passionate speaker and tireless campaigner (as evidenced by her City Council campaigns).  She will help generally with the campaign and specifically with turnout and persuasion of women and Hispanic voters.  

    Finally, I understand that Rodriguez will be cast as a Denverite.  I would note, so will Romanoff.  However, Rodriguez has moved beyond the confines of Denver and garnered national notability, pulling her beyond local relevance.  While I love Bernie, let’s face it, he lost his state house seat…how does this speak to his electability in the future.

    I commend all of the applicants, but I hope that the commission and Ritter pluck Rodriguez from her position.  She will be taking a pay-cut and loses a national platform…which just goes to show she’s passionate for the job and about being in Colorado.  I think the choice is clear.

    1. In Colorado, the DEM base is not the concern they will vote for Ritter.  We need someone who can get the independents and moderate R’s which is not Rodriguez.  Denverites (including myself) often forget that the state doesn’t end at the metro area.  We need a candidate who will have statewide appeal.  

      1. I agree with some points and respectfully disagree with others.  I agree that we often forget that the state ends in the metro area and that we need someone with statewide appeal.  However, Rodriguez is the most electable from the group of applicants.

        Romanoff, while loved in Denver is not loved equally statewide.  Moreover, going to qualifications, while he is an amazing legislator and politician, he is an untested manager and bureaucrat.  

        Bernie, cannot win statewide.  How can we expect someone who couldn’t win his own district of 35,00 voters to win a statewide race?  

        Rosemary on the other hand can appeal to the Democratic base (which I respectfully disagree, is more important in a non-Presidential election year).  Additionally, as the most qualified pick, Independent and Republican voters will find comfort in selecting the most qualified person for the job in recent memory.

        1. With some of your points also.  I understand that the base has to come out in order for D’s to win.  The D’s love Buescher because he is smart and well-tempered and very experienced.  

          As for his district, HD 55 is 45%R, 35%U, and 20%D.  Bernie won the district twice and came within a few hundred this time which is frankly a miracle.  If he attracts statewide in the same partisan proportions he would win the state in a blowout.  

          I also think Ritter owes him this post since two of the three things that I believe are why Bernie lost can be attributed to the Gov.  1) Mill Levy. 2) Amend 58 (which Ritter cajoled Bernie to endorse) and the third was SB 200.  

          Laura Bradford (Bernie’s opponent) openly made this election a referendum on Ritter, who is not very well liked in Mesa county right now.  

          Also, as others have noted above, the geographical argument is true as well.  It would help Ritter to reach out beyond Denver.

          1. Those are well reasoned points, especially regarding the make-up of the district.  I think the jury is out on your rationale about the Mill Levy, Amd. 58 and SB 200.  Only the voters of 55 know the answer.

            Going forward, if we assume your argument is correct, this only cuts against Bernie.  There will be a virtual plethora of ballot initiatives on the ballot in 2010.  Ref. O’s defeat assured it.  On the D side, I know of 4 that were shelved last time, certain to resurrect in 2 years.

            Your geographic argument is a real one.  As Rodriguez is a close friend of J. and K. Salazar(s), I know they would tirelessly campaign on her behalf.  I’m not sure if the same can be said for the other candidates.  I would appreciate thoughts on how K. Salazar’s candidacy may impact this race.

            1. It is hard to say what impact Salazar will have on this race other than it helps bring the D’s out even more.  I do know what Bernie and JS have worked closely together and have campaigned together before also.

              I think we can be pretty certain based on what we know already that HD 55 folks were not fond of the Mill Levy and also did not support Amd 58.  The issue is not the presence of these things on the ballot, but the fact that Bernie endorsed it.  Ritter made sure Bernie endorsed it and Bradford used that in her campaign.  As for SB 200, Focus on the Family and others used it rather unfairly against Bernie this cycle.  I think this “trifecta” is what ultimately did him in.  

              I guess this is what happens when you have several good people up for one post.  Ultimately, I think Rodriguez or Romanoff would also do a good job and would have a chance at holding the seat.  I just think Bernie would do the best job and have the best chance at holding it.

        2. He is absolutely adored up here in Northern Colorado, specifically Larimer County. I think he would actually be the best candidate to win this position back into Dem hands in 2010.

          I’ve never heard of Rosemary. She sounds like an excellent candidate. But…I am looking for a candidate that can also win against a Republican and for that, name recognition would come in mighty handy and Romanoff has it, as well as an amazing organization of donors in place.  

        3. In a district in which R’s outnumber D’s by a 2:1 ratio, Bernie won election twice and came within 500 votes of winning a third election.

          Visits by Cheney, Palin & McCain to Grand Junction changed the voting dynamic. As did some distasteful 527 ads that supposedly were in support of Bernie.

          If Bernie can win (twice) in Mesa County, he can win statewide.  

          1. Why do you think 2010 will be any different than 2008?  There will be 527 and visits by national figures again.  We are a battleground state, and depending on the R Senatorial candidate, we will be under the national microscope again.

            I think Bernie would be a good candidate, just not the best candidate.

            1. The one thing that would be different in 2010 is that Bernie wouldn’t be running in HD-55.  He’d be running statewide.  There are more active Democrats than Republicans statewide, whereas HD-55 has twice to three times as many Republican voters as Democrats.  Any Democrat will obviously outperform statewide versus their percentage in HD-55.  If Bernie could win twice and run close in HD-55, of course he can win statewide.

              1. I understand that Bernie would not just be running in HD-55.  Consider that Bernie won by 9.3 points in 2006 and then lost by 2 points in 2008.  In the best Democratic year in a generation, Bernie lost 11.3 points from his previous high.  R’s obviously found chinks in his armor and will only continue to ply away points.

                Bernie is undoubtedly a skillful politician and an adept campaigner…he is just weak going into the next cycle.

                My prediction: Gordon, Romanoff, Rodriguez as committee picks.

        4. Most of the names on the list are going to be unknown to most, his has the best chance of at least ringing a bell.  Also IIRC, he got his start in gov’t working in Gov. Romer’s administration.

    2. It is hard to characterize the recent experiences of the department before and after the conversion of the office to an elected one as an unqualified success.

      There have been times in the past eight years when Denver was by far the worst in the metro area in processing deeds and mortgages for recording.  Who is responsible for that state of affairs is hard to say.

      Also, Clerk and Record was less heavily an election jobs when it involved the substantial involvement of the Election Commission.  Certainly, Rodriquez has spent a lot of time thinking about and addressing the details, policy and practicilities of election law.  It is hard to know if the Epic Fails of Denver election administration are due to policies she put in place, or due to changes made after her departure.

      The question is whether the SOS’s office requires primarily expertise, or primarily general management experience, is beyond easy determination.  There is more than one way to run the office.  Romanoff would be an innovator, Buescher would take a managerial approach, Rodriquez would likely implement what her experiences have established as best practices nationally that are already proven.

      Rosemary Rodriquez would be a good choice of the position.  But, not the only strong choice or a clear favorite.

        1. The trouble is, that to really make an unmistakable case for yourself, you need to establish not that “I probably wasn’t responsible for the worst problems,” but that “remarkable successes were attributable to me.”

          Also, the problems on the business side of the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s office are more long standing than those on the election side.

          Now, I’m not aying that Rosemary Rodriguez is responsible for all that went wrong or even much of it.  Her ability to get things done was limited by Denver’s IT department, Denver Mayor and Council funding, Election Commission members, etc., etc. and so forth.

          Moreover, the really important decisions and discussions happened behind closed doors, since it was an appointed position, rather than in the open as it would with an elected official making a case for help from county commissioners.

  5. As much as I admire Romanoff, I have to support Buescher as the choice.  Romanoff is likely to be on the short list for a Presidential appointment to something like Region VIII Education – and that would be an extraordinarily good choice for Obama.  With Buescher’s former stint in Romer’s cabinet and his command of the state budget system (and he is a good lawyer), I think he would serve Colorado well as SOS.

    And, on a pragmatic political note.  If either Romanoff or Gordon are selected, we will have the entire government in both the executive and legislative branches from Denver – with the one exception of AG.

    The Governor would do well with appointing a Western Sloper with Buescher’s talent.

  7. Ritter can not make a bad choice.

    One thought, if Salazar goes to interior, might take Andrew off the list to replace him–no one likes a job hopper.

      1. Andrew want to be Governor. Whenever we have talked he seems much more interested in Congress or another Washington post.  I think he is over state politics and is just looking for something to keep his name out there until he goes to Washington which I think he would be wonderful at!

  8. I am not going to go to the trouble to formally withdraw my name, but I think we all can guess my chances against some of those who applied.

    I am torn between supporting Andrew and Bernie. They both are very capable. What I ask of whoever gets it is to work to simplify the election system and make it easier for the voters. This can be done without giving up any of the security.

    Oh yeah, if anyone needs a kick-ass Director of Elections: dan@dan-willis.com

    🙂

    1. whether or not there really is any possibility of Ken Salazar leaving for a cabinet post.  I suspect that won’t happen. Great to have so many viable possibilities, in any case.  All things considered Buescher seems like the best of a good field.  

      1. Um, yeah, I wasn’t really going anywhere with that.

        Probably everyone should run for election once, for something dinky, just to see how it feels (and so we’ll stop telling politicians how they should be running their campaigns).

    3. you’d have at least one vote here! I for one would desperately love to see someone serving as SoS who wouldn’t use it purely as a political football. I’m sure you, as a Democrat, would inevitably bring some partisanship to the job, but overall I think you would definitely be the most responsible and competent candidate for the position.

      Plus I think “Willis ’10” would look nice on a yard sign 🙂  

          1. They were mocking a yoga teacher, a lacrosse player, a man who wrote his resume on graph paper, the “broadcaster” who included a head shot, and a guy who’d run and lost before.  Not you though.

            Congratulations on being able to apply for a job like that and not have it seem frivolous.  It’s a good sign.  Maybe you should be running for your house seat or something.

  9. Ken Gordon is clearly the best candidate on the list, hands down, no question about it.  If we’re looking for someone to make a good Secretary of State, rather than just to use a statewide office as a stepping stone or entitlement, I can’t see why we’d pass up the guy whose life passion is solving exactly the problems the Secretary of State deals with.  We’d have to worry about electability in 2010, yes, but we can pull it off.

    But by all appearances, that won’t happen because of interpersonal problems people have with each other… just sad, really.

    1. I agree, Gordon is well qualified for the position, he should be in the top 3.  If you take personality out of the equation, on paper Gordon is a top-flight choice.

      At the end of the day it is the Governor’s decision and he (and his staff) will have to work with the SOS — in particular they will have to work the legislature to pass new statutes (with the help of the Election Reform Commission, which Gordon chairs), and implement new rules from the SOS office.  The problem the Governor’s office has can’t be put down on paper.  The problem is that Gordon won’t listen to the Governor.  For better or worse, when you have an Executive prerogative, getting along is a weighty factor.  

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