(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(D) Julie Gonzales
(R) Janak Joshi
80%
40%
20%
(D) Jena Griswold
(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Hetal Doshi
50%
40%↓
30%
(D) Jeff Bridges
(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
50%↑
40%↓
30%
(D) Diana DeGette*
(D) Wanda James
(D) Milat Kiros
80%
20%
10%↓
(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(R) Jeff Hurd*
(D) Alex Kelloff
(R) H. Scheppelman
60%↓
40%↓
30%↑
(R) Lauren Boebert*
(D) E. Laubacher
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
30%↑
20%
(R) Jeff Crank*
(D) Jessica Killin
55%↓
45%↑
(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(D) B. Pettersen*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Shannon Bird
(D) Manny Rutinel
45%↓
30%
30%
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
( – promoted by Colorado Pols) If you’re a connoisseur of conspiracy theories, you know that consparicists take great pleasure in each other. They thrive in the closeness they achieve through their shared beliefs, especially because everyone else thinks they’re crazy. That’s why talk radio is such a beautiful medium for conspiracists. The voices and […]
UPDATE #2: So much for that–major networks call Wisconsin gubernatorial recall for Scott Walker, now leading by a very comfortable margin with 55% of precincts reporting. —– UPDATE 7:10PM MDT: With the polls closed in Wisconsin, exit polling indicates an extremely close race–closer than recent predictions of a 3-5 point Scott Walker victory. —– All […]
( – promoted by Colorado Pols) In a promo for his show tomorrow morning, Peter Boyles is promising to interview the five men identified by Denver Post Editorial Page Editor Curtis Hubbard as “Colorado’s 5 Most Prominent and Passionate Birthers.” The “passionate” part is a direct reference to Rep. Mike Coffman, who told KHOW last […]
First there was Mike Coffman. Then Mitt Romney proudly hooked up with The Donald. And now, the San Francisco Chronicle reports from California’s U.S. Senate primary: A novel California primary that premieres Tuesday was intended to produce moderates, but in California’s U.S. Senate race, it could yield a challenger who claims President Obama was born […]
State Representative Sue Schafer was one of just three Democrats in the legislature endorsed by the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, according to a press release issued by the business group last week.
From CACI:
CACI Board Approves Pro-Business Slate of Legislative Incumbents for November Elections
On Thursday of last week, May 24th, the CACI Board of Directors approved a slate of 26 incumbent legislators who are seeking re-election or, in the case of two representatives, election to the Senate, for an endorsement by CACI and, in most cases, a contribution of $400.
Under Colorado’s campaign finance laws, $400 is the maximum contribution that a political committee-in this case, CACI’s Colorado Business Political Action Committee-can give to a legislative candidate over the 2011-2012 election cycle.
Toward the end of the legislative session, the CACI lobbying team began assessing the voting record of incumbent legislators, who are seeking re-election or election to the Senate, for the 2011 and 2012 sessions through the prism of CAC’s lobbying agendas.
A “pro-business” voting record, when viewed through “the prism of CAC’s lobbying agendas,” invariably results in Republican legislators earning the CACI endorsement. Indeed, nearly all of Jeffco’s GOP legislators — State Representatives Cheri Gerou, Libby Szabo, Robert Ramirez, and Ken Summers, specifically — garnered CACI’s seal of approval.
Still, that Schafer also received kind words from the state’s most visible business lobby isn’t too surprising. Her predecessor, former boss, ideological advisor — and now State Senator — Cheri Jahn was endorsed by CACI several times in the past, perhaps because Jahn, a small-business owner, views every piece of legislation by gauging “how it will affect her business.”
Jahn, elected to the Senate in 2010, isn’t up for re-election this year, so she couldn’t possibly benefit from CACI’s check. It’s logical, then, that Jahn’s former aide gets to enjoy the perks of being “pro-business.”
We suspect both legislators will earn the endorsement in 2014.
From New York Daily News, we give you more of Mitt Romney’s BFF: In an address at the North Carolina State Republican Convention, Trump said the outcome of this season’s “Celebrity Apprentice” shows he’s no racist. “Somebody said, ‘Oh, because I brought up the birth certificate, I’m a racist,’ ” Trump said Friday. “I said, […]
As the Washington Post reports, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, speaking as one of the growing army of “Mitt Romney surrogates” making the rounds, bobbled a key talking point today: McDonnell, a potential vice presidential candidate who has sought to walk a tightrope between conservatives and moderates, acknowledged on CNN’s “State of the Union” that federal […]
Miguel Ali posted this on one of the recent Doug Bruce threads: “I stand by my mentor, Douglas Bruce I believe him when he says he’s innocent and I proudly support his appeal TABOR4LIFE” Now, Miguel Ali has made some huge political strides in the past few years, rejecting the faction of the GOP […]
In what may be one of the last legislative outreach events for State Senator Betty Boyd — and the last for either Rep. Andy Kerr or Rep. Ken Summers — the Lakewood legislative delegation will be hosting a “post-legislative session wrap up” town hall tomorrow, the first since last month’s meeting which presaged the contentious civil unions debate.
From the Colorado House Democrats:
MEDIA ADVISORY
Saturday, June 2; 9:30 a.m.Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Max Tyler, Rep. Andy Kerr, Rep. Ken Summers, Sen. Betty Boyd, & Sen. Cheri Jahn
WHAT:
Join the Lakewood legislative delegation for a town hall meeting next Saturday and a post-legislative session wrap-up.WHO:
Rep. Max Tyler (D-Lakewood)
Rep. Andy Kerr (D-Lakewood)
Rep. Ken Summers (R-Lakewood)
Sen. Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood)
Sen. Cheri Jahn (D-Wheat Ridge)WHERE:
Lakewood Cultural Center (map)
470 S. Allison Parkway
Lakewood, CO 80226WHEN: Saturday, June 2, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Given the volatile close of the regular session this year — and the special session which followed as a result — the lawmakers at tomorrow’s town hall might have a few choice words for members of House leadership.
Well, except for Ken Summers. It’s almost as if the lone Republican is entering the lion’s den.
Have a political or community event coming up? E-mail us: info(at)jeffcopols.com
In the wake of President Obama’s visit to Denver last week, CD-1 Representative Diana DeGette scored a choice quote on The Hill:
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said Bennet was successful largely by contrasting his liberal positions on social issues like abortion against those of the conservative Buck. Obama can build on that strategy, DeGette said, arguing that her constituents are much closer to Obama than Romney on issues like birth control, the Violence Against Women Act – which is stalled in Congress over GOP objections to its scope – and gay marriage, which Obama endorsed earlier in the month.
“The president is in sync with the voters of Colorado on that,” DeGette said. “[He] would really do well to talk about those issues here.”
DeGette isn’t wrong, necessarily, especially considering recent polling that gives the president a healthy lead in the state, especially among hispanics and women.
Still, DeGette’s quote begs the question: does the congresswoman from Colorado’s safest district really grasp the entire Colorado electorate? There’s no question that DeGette’s constituents are “much closer to Obama than Romney” — district Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one, after all — but CD-1 in no way mirrors the electoral thermometer of the state as a whole. If it did, Colorado wouldn’t be labeled a “swing state” and The Hill most certainly wouldn’t dedicate pixels to profiling Obama’s “rocky path.”
And while DeGette may indeed be an effective legislator, she’s never really had the occasion to prove her mettle as a campaigner. After all, the Denver Democrat hasn’t had a real opponent in years. That’s less because DeGette can motivate voters and more because no Republican, logically, has been able to win a seat with a Cook PVI rating of D+21.
In short, if The Hill wanted to truly discuss Obama’s chances of winning in Colorado, they should’ve solicited quotes from the moderate candidates who have won statewide and not from the liberal representative who has little reason to leave her incredibly safe district.
(Yes, ignore the fastest-growing viewer demographic… I’m sure that’ll slow the pace at which new media is stealing your audience, TV networks! – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl) By Michael Lund, Bigmedia.org In this election year where Colorado factors heavily as a swing state with a large and growing population of Hispanic swing voters, we’ve been looking […]
THURSDAY UPDATE: Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office further clarifies in a statement: “It’s abundantly clear that nowhere in the interview did the Governor express opposition to the individual mandate,” said Megan Castle, a spokeswoman for Hickenlooper. “What he said is that, put in the right context, most consumers will want to buy coverage if it is […]
We’ve previously written that the viability of Democrat Tim Allport’s campaign against Republican Representative Libby Szabo hinges on Allport’s fundraising numbers. The GOP hold an 8% lead in voter registration within the district, so Allport needed to outraise — or at least come close to — the incumbent Szabo.
Szabo had an average period, adding $11,000 to her massive $34,500 war chest. Spending nearly $3,000, Szabo’s left with about $42,530 on hand.
While it would’ve been impossible for Allport to narrow such a colossal fundraising gap, the labor activist posted a respectable $9,400, adding to the $3,500 he previously held. He spent about $4,300 of that, leaving him with just under $8,700 on hand.
Szabo holds an incredible fundraising advantage, there’s no question. HD-27 is a difficult seat for any Democrat to win, and while Allport hasn’t yet proven that he can raise enough money to do it, he has shown that he’s a credible candidate — noteworthy for any Democrat faced with such a steep uphill battle. That Allport came within $1,600 of Szabo’s numbers shows that he’s connected and charismatic enough to elude being labeled a “sacrificial lamb.” Allport’s legitimacy as a candidate is self-perpetuating; proving that he can raise money will bring more money in.
More importantly, it may also draw outside attention (and money) into the race. Given Szabo’s predilection for religious zealotry and loyal opposition to this year’s civil unions effort at the Capitol, she makes a pretty target for wealthy LGBT donors who have already promised to do whatever it takes to give Democrats the speaker’s gavel. Because Allport has proven his electoral credibility, the path to a Democratic majority for these outside groups might go straight through HD-27 — if only because of the sheer symbolic weight of a Szabo defeat.
Although Democrats enjoy a 4% registration advantage in Lakewood’s newly-reapportioned House District 23, the district is competitive such that the right Republican could really give incumbent Max Tyler a run for his money. While Tyler fended off Republican Edgar Johansson during last cycle’s Republican wave, 2012 opponent Rick Enstrom might not fade away quite so easily.
Enstrom, after all, has proved his mettle as a fundraiser according to finance reports filed earlier this month. The candyman raked in a whopping $27,950, spending $4,350 of that. A $5,000 personal loan — odd for this early in the campaign — leaves him with just over $28,000 on hand.
Enstrom’s donor list is a veritable who’s who of GOP politics. Controversial Jeffco School Board member Laura Boggs donated to Enstrom, as did former United States Senator and CU President Hank Brown. Several members of the Coors family have also written checks. Curiously, Enstrom’s also received hundreds of dollars from employees of Black Hills Exploration and Whiting Petroleum. There’s no oil and gas exploration in Lakewood, of course, so these contributions are the direct result of connections Enstrom made as a businessman and elected official on the Western Slope.
For his part, Rep. Tyler started the period with $16,000 on hand, to which he added a meager $2,380. Tyler spent just $900, leaving him with $17,500. In total, the incumbent’s raised just under $26,000, about $3,500 less than his opponent. Enstrom’s loan, then, just barely earned him the lead.
Tyler’s going to really need to bolster his fundraising before Enstrom leaves him in the dust. Sure, the candy maker picked off “low-hanging fruit” in his first full period as a candidate, but he’s ending that period with more money than an incumbent who’s been raising funds since last year. Even if Enstrom’s well runs dry — which likely won’t happen anytime soon — he retains the ability to self-fund, and as seen, loan himself money. The district favors Tyler, of course, but if Enstrom continues to outpace the incumbent in fundraising, it won’t matter how good Tyler’s ground game is.
Tyler is still the favorite, but in Rick Enstrom, Republicans recruited the exact kind of candidate they need to win competitive seats: a moderate businessmen with previous elected experience, long donor lists, and deep pockets.
While Denver’s controversial urban camping ban technically went into effect yesterday at midnight, the Denver Police Department — with the blessing of Mayor Michael Hancock — is holding off on enforcing the ordinance during a “grace period” during which officers and residents alike will be informed of its provisions.
The reluctance to enforce the ban highlights the difficulty in communicating the effects of the law to a homeless population which, by definition, often lacks the means of direct communication.
Westword’s Kelsey Whipple reports:
Today marks the announced effective date of Denver’s new urban camping ban, an ordinance that makes it illegal to camp on public or private property without permission. After months of debate, followed by a two-week implementation period, both Occupy Denver and the homeless community prepared for its first day in action. They’re still waiting. “We are not enforcing the ordinance right now,” says Denver Police Department spokesman John White.
So far, the spokesman has not heard of any official warnings being given, and any verbal ones are considered routine as the department approaches enforcement. “We got our word from (Denver Police Chief Robert) White that we are not to enforce it yet,” says the detective. Although the ban went into effect at midnight, he did not outline a specific date for enforcement to begin. Instead, the department is exercising a grace period while officers and residents learn more about the ban.
Over the past two weeks, officers have been trained in the ban’s enforcement protocol, which requires both a verbal and written citation in addition to several layers of assessment before any action takes place. Officers also visited several area homeless shelters to discuss the ban’s implications and protocol with providers before it goes into effect, Detective White says.
Although this “grace period” may indeed ameliorate some of the humanitarian criticisms lodged against the ordinance, it also arms critics with some powerful ammunition.
After all, the DPD’s hesitation to enforce the ban — and the difficulty in enforcing it at all — can be framed as an indication that the ordinance was poorly thought out and rushed through the City Council without due diligence paid to its potential implications.
One such unintended consequence is, of course, the incentivization for “campers” to, well, break the law:
At least one occupier plans to stay in the park until he is removed by police officers. “I don’t care if they arrest me on the sidewalk,” says Tommy, who asked that his last name be withheld. “At least I won’t be homeless anymore.”
“Jests that give pains are no jests.” –Miguel de Cervantes
Although Justin Everett’s nomination as the Republican candidate in House District 22 is all but a foregone conclusion, he and primary opponent Loren Bauman will be facing off tonight at a debate in South Jeffco.
Who knows? This debate might just be the tipping point at which Bauman proves that he’s the more qualified candidate to campaign for and serve in the legislature. Or perhaps Everett will have his “macaca” moment –gaffe-ing so miserably that Republican voters will have no choice but to nominate his opponent.
Then again, probably not. Still, if Bauman wants to have any chance when election day rolls around a month from now, he’ll need to walk away this evening as the debate’s undisputed victor. Likewise, a resounding win for Everett gives primary voters even less reason to pay attention to Bauman’s candidacy.
House District 22 Republican Candidate Forum
Here is your opportunity to meet Justin Everett and Loren Bauman, candidates for the State House of Representatives.Registered Republicans will elect one of these individuals on June 26th to run against other political party candidates in the general election. Candidates will be asked to answer a number of pertinent questions with time allotted for audience questions.
Be prepared to make an informed decision at the June Primary by attending this event.
Where: Columbine Library 7706 W. Bowles Ave
When: Tuesday, May 29, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
UPDATE: Will somebody let Dick Wadhams know that Politico is now referring to Colorado as “The Boulder State?” Wadhams should have a unique appreciation for this nickname change. —– Politico’s Maggie Haberman this morning: As Mitt Romney heads to battleground Colorado this week, the Democratic-leaning firm Project New America is out with a poll showing […]
A few months ago, one of our diarists profiled Hans Romer, a Libertarian candidate running in House District 29 against Democrat Tracy Kraft-Tharp and Republican Representative Robert Ramirez.
Because Ramirez narrowly beat Representative Debbie Benefield by under 200 votes in 2010, a terrible year for Democratic incumbents by all accounts, we’ve heard rumblings from Republicans worried that Romer will “spoil” the race — siphoning enough conservative-leaning voters away from Ramirez to deliver Kraft-Tharp the seat. Indeed, Ramirez’s narrow margin-of-victory in 2010, combined with his inherent flaws as a legislator, give Romer’s candidacy particular importance. Ramirez, after all, simply needs to earn every single right-leaning vote he can, a feat all that more difficult with a Libertarian in the race.
We want to know: is Romer’s candidacy the final nail in the Ramirez campaign’s coffin? Will he hurt Kraft-Tharp’s chances? Or will the third-party candidate have no impact at all? A poll follows.
Although Republican Lang Sias hauled in more than twice as much money this period as State Senator Evie Hudak in the hyper-competitive SD-19 race, the incumbent still enjoys a 3-1 fundraising advantage.
In the filing period ending on May 2nd, Sias raised a whopping $23,600, spending just $2,000 of that. While that number is certainly nothing to shrug off, it’s important to remember that this was the first full period since Sias declared his candidacy. As such, Sias’ remarkable haul could be the exception, not the rule — the first fundraising quarter of any candidate tends to be their strongest because the “low-hanging fruit” is the easiest to pick off.
In the same period, Hudak brought in $11,500. While it’s only half of Sias’ total for the same period, it’s certainly respectable. Hudak has, after all, been preoccupied with the actual business of legislating, and her elected duties certainly limited the amount of time she had to campaign and raise money. Like Sias, Hudak only spent about $2,000.
In total, Hudak’s raised $73,000 and has about $55,000 on hand. Sias has raised $25,000 with $22,000 of that still in the bank.
Sias has ground to make up on Hudak. If he continues to outraise the incumbent by a factor of 2, however, he should be able to considerably narrow the gap. It’s unlikely that Sias will continue to best Hudak by such large margins — given that all the low-hanging fruit has already been harvested — but considering that Hudak represents a seat that leans Republican, Sias may not have too hard a time finding new donors.
Of course, that same competitiveness means that neither Hudak nor Sias will have to worry about their own numbers costing them the race: outside money will continue to pour into the district and will likely shift the campaign more than the respective fundraising numbers of either candidate.
When Weird Al Yankovic sings, “I Love Rocky Road,” that’s satire. When Lord Dark Helmet crotch-zaps someone, that’s satire. When Hustler Magazine punishes S.E. Cupp for being both an attractive woman and opinionated by putting a Photoshopped penis in her mouth in their magazine, that might be protected as satire, under Larry Flynt’s famous Supreme […]
Jeffco Young Dems’ annual Legislative Session Wrapup meeting will be held tonight in Arvada, featuring updates from Senator Evie Hudak (SD 19), Representative Sue Schafer (HD 24), and Representative Max Tyler (HD 23). What: Updates from and Q&A with three Democratic legislators. Where: Udi’s on Grandview in Old Town Arvada. Gluten free, veggie, and vegan […]
Incumbent State Representative Jeanne Labuda has over six times more cash-on-hand than her upstart primary opponent Corrie Houck, according to finance reports released earlier this month.
While Labuda had an anemic fundraising period by most standards – she raised only about $2,300 – her opponent did even worse, raising a hair over $1,600.
Houck clearly hasn’t been able to connect with donors, given she’s only brought in $3,600 since she kicked off her campaign. For her part, Labuda’s raised over $9,000 – a relatively paltry sum, but significant when compared to her challenger’s haul.
With the June primary fast approaching, Houck’s in a bad spot. Labuda has a full $8,000 to spend over the next month, compared to just $1,200 for her opponent. With such a gigantic fundraising gap to leap, Houck’s path to victory is obstructed, at the very least. Simply put, Corrie Houck had to raise more money than her opponent in order to stay competitive. Sure, the incumbent has made crippling mistakes which could’ve severely hindered her chances of re-election, but those mistakes patently do not matter if voters aren’t aware of them. Houck doesn’t have enough money in the bank to make the case that she’s a better candidate than Labuda. She certainly doesn’t have enough to raise her name ID to a point where voters will pick her over the candidate for whom they’ve voted three times before.
Beyond that, Houck’s terrible fundraising also betrays her entire justification for challenging Labuda in the first place. Houck staged a primary campaign, in part, because of complaints about Labuda’s deficiencies as a campaigner. Yet if Labuda is able to outraise Houck by such large margins, doesn’t that mean she’s probably the better candidate for the general election?
Still, Houck’s challenge has certainly made Labuda nervous. The incumbent representative has spent about $12,500 — $3,500 more than she’s raised. That’s nearly four times as much money as Houck has spent. Perhaps the person most confident in Corrie Houck winning the race, then, is Jeanne Labuda: why else would she spend such incredible amounts of money against an opponent who hasn’t even proven her credibility? To make up for her difference in money raised and money spent, Labuda had to give herself a $7,500 loan. While a loan is nominally different than donating money to yourself, it still opens up Labuda to the criticism that she’s willing to buy a fourth term of office.
It’s a shame, then, that Corrie Houck doesn’t have enough cash-on-hand to air that criticism.
Like one of our favorite former Congressmen I occasionally find myself in a mood to muse. So last night I took a look at the PERA Answer Brief that was just posted on the saveperacola website. It offers limitless musing opportunities. Straight away I have to point out that the central argument of the PERA […]
It’s been an embarrassingly-long time since our last mailbag, so it’s time to put out the call once again. Ask your questions of Colorado Pols either in the comments section below or at askalva@coloradopols.com We’ll give it a few days to collect questions, and then we’ll answer as many as we can in a later […]
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