President (To Win Colorado)
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(D) Kamala Harris
(R) Donald Trump
80%
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) V. Archuleta
98%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Marshall Dawson
95%
5%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(D) Adam Frisch
(R) Jeff Hurd
50%
50%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank
(D) River Gassen
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) John Fabbricatore
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen
(R) Sergei Matveyuk
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
70%↑
30%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
April 06, 2009 07:20 PM UTC
46 Comments
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Ali Hasan is the only one who blogs here so he has my vote!
But yes, I actually think that Hasan is the best of the bunch as far as a challenger. You can’t deny that he’s a hardworker with a lot of disposable income.
What actually qualifies him to be Treasurer?
In any race?
you’re telling me that a candidate’s record doesn’t matter?
Here’s Cary Kennedy’s pre-Treasurer experience:
Here’s Ali’s experience:
That’s a fairly stark contrast. I’m not saying there’s not a shred of truth to your comment, but a compare and contrast exercise certainly doesn’t do Ali any favors.
The strongest candidate for Treasurer is easily Kennedy herself. She won’t lose in 2010.
But it doesn’t always. Most voters don’t make informed decisions.
However, we don’t expect Kennedy to lose either way.
The way he did as a candidate in HD 56, our state is doomed!
He’s a blue field, with lots of floating circles, bars and numbers. And his name is incredibly hard to read.
I can’t even tell if we are talking about a male or female.
it’s private, but you can see his face at least.
http://www.facebook.com/people…
That alone is enough to disqualify him in my book.
JJ is the son of Don Ament.
Looks like he might win something.
This poll.
I’ve always wanted to vote for a pair of initials.
I wouldn’t underestimate JJ. He is a really great guy with an extensive background in banking/finance. Plus he comes from a family that still carries political weight in CO.
name is well known in Northeastern Colorado especially. His dad Don was on the school board in Sterling then state house, state senate and Ag. State Sec. under Owens. J.J. Ament will do well in many areas with LAST name recognition. Stapleton is a good name for Colorado. Many voters will remember Stapleton Airport and republicans will also be reminded that he is cousin to Bush and a nasty primary may show a link to banking/past banking related problems in Colorado with his relatives. I hate to say it, but, in a Republican primary the name Ali Hasan, especially outside Denver/Boulder will not fly with some of the Arab/Islam hating republicans out there. But, with Hasan’s $$$, it will be a fun 3 way race to watch.
Ament, Stapleton and Hasan should all be 15-1 on the big line. Right now I would give a slight edge to Ament in the republican primary. Would probably lose big to Kennedy in the general.
Who would have thought?
will be fun to watch for political and campaign junkies on both sides.
the opium harvest is bountiful in Afghanistan and the street price of smack has plummeted!
No offense to the 80s punk band, but Cary had better be sweating. All the pieces are being put together for a voter backlash on taxes and spending and she’s on the wrong side of that issue. None of the Treasurer candidates will be able to raise much money under the current limits and they will all be dependent on up ticket races.
Three years ago Kennedy benefitted from a bad republican gubernatorial candidate and a strong performance by Ritter. Still, in an otherwise democrat juggernaut year, she won by the slightest of margins. She needs to work on her CV and get ready to move to DC…there will still be a lot of administration jobs available in 18 months.
won in a statewide election, the same year a republican won statewide for SOS. Kennedy beat a well known seasoned republican challenger. You are correct that she benefitted from a weak R gubernatorial campaign up ticket, but, I think she will benefit in 2010 from better name recognition and she really has found her voice as an elected official. Her speaking ability in front of both small and large groups is excellent.
she’ll benefit again from a weak Republican gubernatorial campaign up-ticket this time too.
The other two Republicans are simply in this as a stepping stone to higher office. One couldn’t win a house seat the other is a carpet-bagging opportunist using the same strategy that worked so well for Holtzman.
JJ has worked with our own state treasurer in trying to save the state millions of dollars in bungled investments. He’s smart and he wants THIS office . . . not the next one.
If Republicans are smart they’ll dismiss the other two clowns for what they are and stand squarely behind the one person who can beat the current treasurer.
Down ticket? Yes. But, during an economic recession of this proportion the treasurer has a job to do and the current one is the governor’s puppet.
JJ Ament has the experience necessary to do this job on day one and will do his job to protect taxpayer dollars; not simply play yes man to the governor . . . whoever that is.
We need to get candidates who don’t just want a job; we need the ones who want to serve and will sacrifice to do so. Should always look toward people with a proven history of success. Stapleton has exactly that – and the business and fundraising acumen to run a successful campaign. Not to mention the strong desire to actually do the job well and create a better environment for Colorado families.
So will Stapleton do the honorable thing and leave it to Republicans at the state assembly to decide?
Since he’s out first on this race, what risk does he run?
Plato – you and I both know the caucus system is not the be-all, end-all. Do you really want to pretend that you’ve opposed EVERY CANDIDATE that EVER petitioned on to the ballot?
I think the caucus is all inside baseball and has largely become irrelevant. My point, is that if Stapleton is the only GOP candidate in the race, why wouldn’t he come through the assembly?
The State allows for both. Period.
Isn’t this the same JJ Ament that worked for CitiGroup? If not i apologize, but if it is I believe that disqualifies him from being a real threat to ANYONE. Wasn’t citi one of the banks that caused the mess we are in today?
If he runs Colorado’s finances like they ran Citi then we are in a whole lot worse shape then i thought.
Although I did hear through the grapevine that he is a “former” Citigroup employee. So someone who couldn’t even cut it with Citigroup at finance I sure as hell don’t want watching my state’s checkbook.
So it appears Stapleton pulled the trigger and listed some of his big name supporters in his announcement.
While I’m sure his campaign thoroughly vetted the list before publishing it, the list contains some blatant errors of supporters. Some who I’m guessing will not appreciate their names being publicized at all.
Nice work Team Stapleton!! Bungling it from the get-go.
Oddly, Mary Smith (listed among the supporters in the announcement and above this post)has failed to denounce his carpet-bagger status. This is Mark Holtzman v. 2!
People who’ve lived their whole lives here AND people (like me) who have moved here at some point and CHOSEN to live and thrive in beautiful Colorado. And in Walker’s case, to devote some time to public service.
Not meaning to doubt you – would you like to cite said individuals? I’m curious who you think you have behind you…
Press Release announcing Walker’s candidacy
April 7, 2009
Walker Stapleton Announces Run for State Treasurer
Businessman Pledges to Put Colorado’s Taxpayers First
DENVER-Emphasizing that he will restore the State Treasurer’s office to being the taxpayers’ watchdog, Republican businessman Walker Stapleton today announced his candidacy for Treasurer, and unveiled a long list of prominent Coloradans who have already joined his team.
Stapleton said that with the Treasury, the Governor’s Office and the Legislature all controlled by Democrats, “they have focused on nothing but higher spending, bigger government, more state workers – and assault after assault on taxpayers’ rights.”
In contrast, Stapleton said he would use his business background and success running a business and creating jobs to fight for policies that will jump-start Colorado’s economy.
“My Number One goal as State Treasurer will be putting Colorado’s taxpayers first,” Stapleton said. “Colorado’s Treasurer can again be the taxpayers’ foremost advocate in state government. Under its current occupant, the Treasury has gone from being the taxpayers’ watchdog to the tax-spenders’ headquarters.”
Stapleton cited a wide range of policies pursued by the current Treasurer and Gov. Bill Ritter, including the recent property tax increase, and attacks on the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) and the 6 percent spending cap, as hallmarks of the anti-taxpayer movement currently underway at the State Capitol. Stapleton said he would also put a new focus on preserving the state’s critically underfunded public-employee pension system to prevent the need for an infusion of taxpayer funds.
Stapleton is CEO of SonomaWest Holdings Inc, a publicly traded real estate company with offices in Colorado and California. In addition to SonomaWest, Stapleton has several land, retail and residential investments throughout Colorado. Stapleton, his wife Jenna and their one-year-old son, Craig, live in Greenwood Village. Jenna is working toward a master’s degree in social work at the University of Denver. Stapleton has a bachelor’s degree from Williams College, a graduate degree from the London School of Economics and an MBA from Harvard University.
The Stapleton for Colorado finance team is co-chaired by business leaders Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media Group, who was Chairman of Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign in Colorado, and J. Landis (Lanny) Martin, founder of Platte River Ventures. The campaign’s treasurer is Joe Smith, Partner, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP.
Stapleton’s candidacy is also supported by several prominent Colorado business leaders and advocates, including:
Charles Gallagher, Chairman & CEO, Gallagher Enterprises
Hon. Jim Nicholson, Former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Former US Ambassador to Holy See; Former Chairman, Republican National Committee
Mary Smith, Former Chairman, Denver County Republicans
Jim Wallace, President, Brownlie, Wallace, Armstrong & Bander Exploration
Jack Vickers, CEO, Vickers Companies
Bill Hybl, Chairman & CEO, El Pomar Foundation
Ron and Alysa Levine, Partner, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
Bob and Christie Austin, CEO, Englewood Mortgage Company
Dick Robinson, CEO, Robinson Dairy
Raymond T. Duncan, Chairman and CEO, Duncan Oil
Frederic Hamilton, Chairman, The Hamilton Companies
Marc and Kristin Holtzman, Vice Chairman, Barclays Capital
Joe and Anne Ellis, COO, Denver Broncos
George Solich, President, Cordillera Energy Partners
Daniel Riff, Portfolio Manager, Janus Capital Group
Bart Bansbach, Columbine Realty
Meg Duke, Community Activist
Jeremy and Holly Arnold Kinney, President, Kinney Oil Company; Owner, The Fort Restaurant
Alan F. Fox, Alan F. Fox Realty & Investment Company
Katie Wolfe Agron, Owner, Scott & Wolfe Interiors
Brown and Mardi Cannon, President, Cannon Land Co
Lynne and Bo Cottrell, Community Activists
Christine Burtt, President, CQB & Associates, Inc.
Sue Cannon, Philanthropist
Jessica Corry, Public Policy Analyst, Former State Senate Candidate
Nancy Petry, Philanthropist
Katherine Swalm Whitcomb, Community Activist
speaking to “Plato” and who he thought was a JJ supporter vs. listed as a Walker supporter…
Sorry for the misunderstanding. Good point.
Thanks for the kind comments above folks!
Walker Stapleton is, indeed, tremendously lucky to have someone like Mary Smith behind him – Mary is a phenomenal leader and puts her heart and soul into everything she invests in – our State Party has benefitted deeply from her
With that said – respect around here isn’t earned by people’s vouching alone – it’s earned by candidates arguing their good credentials on their own
I hope to see more Republican officials and candidates around here in the future
Peace and love all! Ali
And thanks for the shout out!
you know I love you, Mary!
I want you to run so we can see your unbeatable strategy.
it is a terrific plan that we’ve put lots of thought into
you’ll definitely see it eventually – whether that is 2010 or a later date, but you will eventually see it
then the one when you ran for state house?
we learned A LOT on that race – we’re putting the good lessons to very good use
Who on Stapleton’s list shouldn’t be? And is that because YOU or Ament think they shouldn’t be? Want to take your ball and go home?
Put up FACTS about your accusations or shut up!
Thanks for playing!