Eric Weissmann Joins CD-2 GOP Primary (With More To Follow?)

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by: Colorado Pols

That’s the word we got from Boulder today, confirming an early report by the Colorado Statesman back in December—Eric Weissmann, a political novice investment banker from Boulder, will announce next week that he is challenging state Sen. Kevin Lundberg in the GOP primary to take on incumbent Democratic Rep. Jared Polis in November.

Our understanding is that to the extent Republicans in the new CD-2 are taking the possibility of running against Polis seriously (more on that in a moment), they’re not at all confident about Weissmann despite his potential ability to self-fund his campaign. Weissmann’s background as a Mitt Romney-style “corporate raider” is a liability in Boulder and its liberal environs, and we’ve heard that Weissmann has been known to wax a little nutty with his rhetoric–which isn’t to say that Sen. Lundberg, his only so-far declared challenger, isn’t just as bad.

Either way, in the Loveland Reporter-Herald earlier this month, Boulder County GOP chairman Joel Champion claimed at least five Republican candidates are considering this race. With both Sen. Lundberg and the relatively unknown Weissmann possessing their own special liabilities, we’re also watching for somebody from a bigger league to perhaps jump in.

What might possibly stop that as-yet-unnamed more credible GOP challenger from emerging in this race is the better understanding of the newly redistricted CD-2 all parties have now. Although the new district is nominally closer in terms of party representation, with Democrats only at about a 4% advantage, historical voting patterns in the new district show it was in fact solidly carried–62%–by Barack Obama in 2008, and 55% for Michael Bennet in 2010. We’ve said before that despite the party registration shift in the new CD-2, Jared Polis will remain very hard to beat there, and analysis of the new district bears that out quite clearly.

But who knows? Maybe Hank Brown will come out of retirement.

17 thoughts on “Eric Weissmann Joins CD-2 GOP Primary (With More To Follow?)”

Jones Smith says:

January 27, 2012 at 10:39 pm

Fort Collins turnout in a presidential year, plus an aggressive campaign operation in Larimer County means Polis will crush it in 2012. All Lundberg’s ever done to campaign is put up signs and hand out leaflets in the churches (and heaped damnation on preachers when they don’t let him).

Lundberg is a darling of the county GOP central committee and some right wing congregations. Apart from that he’s just one more whackjob who thinks God sent him to earth to bully people.

Even Lundberg has to know the reality of this. The race just gives him a higher pedestal to preach from. The end result will be an already demoralized Larimer Republican Party that will spend the next decade remaining demoralized.

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Craig says:

January 27, 2012 at 10:49 pm

Well, he would have to carpet bag in as he lives in Weld County, I believe and isn’t in the 2nd even under the new lines.

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1. ArapaGOP says:
  
  January 27, 2012 at 11:33 pm
  
  What a ridiculous thing for Brandon Shaffer to even consider. 🙂
  
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  1. Voyageur says:
    
    January 29, 2012 at 1:06 am
    
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2. Arvadonian says:
  
  January 27, 2012 at 11:58 pm
  
  carpetbaggers. Ask Bob Beauprez (or the people in the 7th who voted for him).
  
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  1. gertie97 says:
    
    January 28, 2012 at 3:00 am
    
    There’s no room for a sensible Republican like Hank Brown in today’s GOP.
    
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    1. Voyageur says:
      
      January 29, 2012 at 1:07 am
      
      This crowd thinks Ronald Reagan was a commie, at least if you outline Reagan’s record without mentioning his name.
      
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Say Hey Kid says:

January 28, 2012 at 12:27 am

Joseph Coors might be the toughest opponent Ed Pelrmutter has faced. If Eric Weissman can get past Lundberg in a primary he might be tough as well. Didn’t Hank Brown start out as a State Rep. from Fort Collins? He’s not that much older than Coors.

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1. Gilpin Guy says:
  
  January 28, 2012 at 12:37 am
  
  He’s an up and comer. Gonna give Perlmutter more than he can handle. Republicans are going to own CD 7 the way they own CD 5.
  
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2. Fidel's dirt nap says:
  
  January 28, 2012 at 12:54 am
  
  because Boulderites and others in CD2 are going to rush to the polls in droves to vote for an investment banker. Yeah.
  
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3. ArapaGOP says:
  
  January 28, 2012 at 2:58 am
  
  Will indeed be the toughest opponent Perlmutter has ever faced. Perlmutter may not have ever faced a tough opponent before, same as Polis.
  
  I love how Pols spins multiple Republicans vying to take on Polis as evidence he is invincible. Pols must get some excellent Boulder medical marijuana.
  
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  1. RedGreen says:
    
    January 28, 2012 at 6:11 am
    
    Wait, is that the sound of you throwing Ryan Frazier under the bus? Cold, man. Cold.
    
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    1. Diogenesdemar says:
      
      January 29, 2012 at 1:41 am
      
      He shit all over Scott McInnis the other day.
      
      The only job less rewarding than being a Republican candidate has to be being a former, losing Republican candidate.
      
      On second thought, there’s not very many former winning Republicans that these Colorado County flaks publicly admire . . . campaign donors, however, are always welcome (so long as they keep their yaps shut).
      
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UglyAmerican says:

January 28, 2012 at 4:08 am

He is articulate, he has thought through the issues thoroughly, he has built and sold companies, and will definitely give Polis the opportunity to make the progressive case against the conservative/libertarian case. He has a real reason for running and the fact that he is a so-called political novice should not be a rap on anyone who feels called to serve in a house of representatives.

Biggest rap on Eric is not the investment banker label but his height.

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RegisteredRepublican says:

January 28, 2012 at 6:58 am

I wonder if his interest in being in Congress is waning. He is 36, has a new baby, is richer than God, and no doubt has many varied interests. If the GOP remains the majority in the U.S. House — and I suspect they will — being a member of the minority really stinks and truly limits what one can do.

Boredom and restlessness, not a Republican, may do in Polis some time this decade.

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1. Gray in Mountains says:
  
  January 29, 2012 at 1:50 am
  
  ’12, ’14, ’16 ’18. Then he can run for Senate or Gov. Or, or President
  
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2. GalapagoLarry says:
  
  January 29, 2012 at 3:25 am
  
  I wonder if his interest in being in Congress is waning.
  
  Whatever made you wonder that–besides wishful thinking?
  
  Here’s a guy (whom I don’t know personally) riding the crest of human happiness: pressing the frontiers of American individual freedom with a supportive husband and precious new baby, contributing to the greater good of his society with his national service (repeat: national. That’s got to be an helluva ego booster), enjoying financial security that even Washingtonians envy, championing off-mainstream causes that show off his testosterone and provide more than a few shits and giggles. Why, oh why, would his interest in Congress be waning?
  
  Oh. wait. Real possibility: He’s smart. Very smart. The only way Polis could leave the House is upward. This guy’s headed somewhere alright, and not down to the rec room to watch TV because his arthritis is catching up with him and he’s feelin’ all down and whiney becuase the Republicans (currently) hold the majority. Polis is sitting where every pol wishes he/she were: on top, and still nowhere to go but up.
  
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