Those seeking evidence that Colorado’s 7th Congressional District race will probably become one of the fiercest in the nation should look no further than Monday’s visit by Vice President Dick Cheney.
More than one year from the election – and amid turmoil and speculation that his aide, Lewis “Scooter” Libby, could be indicted in connection with the CIA leak case – Cheney flew to Colorado to attend a fundraiser for Rick O’Donnell, the likely Republican candidate.
In a crisp speech at the fundraiser, Cheney touted O’Donnell as a “common-sense conservative” who would hew closely to the line fellow Republican Bob Beauprez established since 2002 as the first representative from Colorado’s new 7th District. Beauprez is running for governor rather than re-election.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Rick O’Donnell is the man for the job,” Cheney said. “President Bush and I are behind him 100 percent of the way.”
Cheney is just one of several heavyweights, including Beauprez, Gov. Bill Owens and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who have thrown their weight behind O’Donnell, the executive director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. That such support has come so early in the campaign only underscores the national interest the Colorado 7th will draw in the 2006 elections, political observers said.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report names it as one of just seven toss-up House of Representatives races nationwide in the midterm elections.
About 120 people attended Monday evening’s event at Invesco Field at Mile High. The fundraiser was expected to bring in about $100,000.
As of the last campaign filings, O’Donnell had raised $420,000. Two Democratic candidates, former state Sen. Ed Perlmutter and former state Rep. Peggy Lamm, have collected $316,935 and $182,011, respectively.
After the event, Perlmutter blasted O’Donnell for spending the past couple of weeks in Europe and not campaigning for Referendums C and D, which ask voters to lift state spending limits.
“He ought to be focusing on that, instead of going to Europe, coming back for his own fundraiser and going back to Europe,” Perlmutter said.
O’Donnell has been on a Marshall Memorial Fellowship in Europe, and he said Monday that, as a candidate for federal office, he wouldn’t take a position on a state issue.
While acknowledging that the race ahead will be a difficult one, O’Donnell said he was grateful for the big boost from Cheney.
“To have the vice president of the United States come out here, it’s amazing,” O’Donnell said after the fundraiser. “I’ve been pinching myself.”
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
