Brief by Central Staff
Politics – July 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Some political races are starting to solidify, now that both the Republicans and Democrats have held their state assemblies.
But before we get to candidates, let’s look at the congressional districts. After the 2000 census, Colorado got a new U.S. House seat, and congressional districts had to be redrawn.
Republicans held the Colorado House at the time and saw this need to redistrict as an opportunity, but Democrats controlled the state senate, so the legislature couldn’t agree on new boundaries. Therefore a court drew the lines that were used in the 2002 election.
The legislature finally agreed on new boundaries in 2003, however. But then Attorney General Ken Salazar sued to keep the court-drawn ones. The Colorado Supreme Court agreed, and in early June, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Republicans’ appeal.
So that may all be over, and Chaffee and Lake counties, which had been in the Third District but were moved to the Fifth in 2002, will apparently stay in the Fifth.
The Third District comprises most of the Western Slope, as well as the San Luis Valley and a stretch to Pueblo. Incumbent Scott McInnis, a Republican, is not seeking-reelection. But at least two Republicans will be on the Aug. 10 primary ballot to replace him: Greg Walcher, former director of Club 20 and the state department of natural resources, and Matt Smith, a Grand Junction lawyer and state representative (and brother-in-law of McInnis).
Three other Republicans have submitted petitions to get on the primary ballot. They are Rep. Gregg Rippy of Glenwood Springs, Matt Aljanich of Steamboat Springs, and Pueblo County Sheriff Dan Corsentino.
On the Democratic side, Rep. John Salazar of Manassa got enough delegate votes to keep Jim Spehar, Grand Junction mayor, off the primary ballot. Unless a candidate gets at least 30% of the delegate votes, he can’t run in the primary, and Spehar got only 27%.
The Fifth District is a Republican stronghold anchored by Colorado Springs and El Paso County; it also embraces all or part of Teller, Frémont, Lake, Chaffee, and Park counties. Republican incumbent Joel Hefley has held this seat since 1987, and he’s running again.
His Democratic opponent will be Fred Hardee, a businessman and former chairman of the Democratic Party in El Paso County.
Hardee says he’s in this to win, since “Voters are fed up with the war in Iraq, unemployment and rising gasoline prices, and they’re ready for a change.”
