Crowded, expensive and dramatic.
That’s how a potential Republican primary in the 5th Congressional District is being characterized if 20-year veteran U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley doesn’t run for re-election.
The district, where Republicans outnumber Democrats more than 2-to-1, is considered one of the safest GOP seats in the country. Add to that the power of incumbency, and whoever wins the seat could probably be there as long as he or she wants, said Bob Loevy, a Colorado College political-science professor.
“Anyone with any kind of political ambition aimed at Washington will want to get in,” he said. “The prize is unbelievably large.”
Although state caucuses are only two months away, the 10-term congressman has declined so far to say whether he’s in or out. This led to a recent phone call from the White House encouraging him not to retire this year, his spokeswoman Kim Sears said.
“He doesn’t have a timeline for when he’s going to make a decision, but it will be soon,” Sears said.
While Hefley, first elected in 1986, has only $78,312 in his campaign bank, according to the Federal Election Committee, that doesn’t necessarily indicate his intention. In his last three races, Hefley spent just under $100,000 to just over $127,000.
The prospect of an open seat has led to a flurry of potential candidates.
“There are so many Republicans who would probably run for the seat, including some who are currently in the state legislature,” GOP consultant Katy Atkinson said. “It would definitely make for some great theater.”
Already, Republican John Wesley Anderson, a homeland-security defense expert and former El Paso County sheriff, has jumped into the race, contending he will remain even if Hefley decides to run for re-election.
Jeff Crank, a vice president at the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and a former Hefley aide, has been seriously mulling a run for the seat but only if his former boss retires.
“It’s dependent upon what Joel does,” Crank said. “If he wanted me to run his re-election campaign, I would gladly do it.”
There is expected to be a “trickle-down” effect if Hefley retires, Atkinson said, as local and state officials give up their seats to vie for Congress. State Sen. Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs and El Paso County Commissioner Wayne Williams have expressed interest in the seat.
On the Democrats’ side, only Jay Fawcett, a former Air Force officer, has announced his candidacy.
The 5th District, which encompasses El Paso, Chaffee, Fremont, Lake, Park and Teller counties, is considered one of the most conservative areas in the state. Voters in all six counties, for instance, opposed Referendums C and D in November, according to the secretary of state’s office.
A multiple-candidate Republican primary is expected to be a “race to the right,” with hopefuls sparring over their varying shades of conservative social and economic perspectives.
“The primary will be hard- fought, with candidates going as far right as possible to win,” Loevy said.
Hefley’s nearly 20 years in Congress have been largely low- profile. Although he was once named one of the 10 most obscure members of Congress, his constituents have repeatedly re- elected him. His biggest accomplishments have centered on his support for the military and bases in the state.
As a recent chairman of the House Ethics Committee, Hefley admonished U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, the former majority leader, three times for official conduct deemed inappropriate. Republican leaders have since removed Hefley from the committee.
Staff writer Karen E. Crummy can be reached at 303-820-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
