When Colorado party activists gather Saturday to anoint candidates for this fall’s elections, it will be against a backdrop of fresh opinion polls showing Americans now trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the country’s most pressing issues.
The figures paint a bleak picture for Republicans, but this weekend’s GOP conclave in Colorado Springs is only the beginning of the nominating process and many Republicans remain optimistic. Democrats meet in Greeley, hot on the heels of a workmanlike legislative session that saw more partisan cooperation than anyone could have predicted. Lawmakers should be saluted, but now it’s onto the campaign trail.
The GOP voter-registration edge may be shrinking, but it’s not chopped liver. And several statehouse seats are competitive, giving the Republicans a chance to reclaim one or both houses of the legislature.
The GOP buzz is centered around what’s become a tense race for governor, and worries that the survivor may be so exhausted or tarnished by the battle that he’ll have difficulty taking on Democrat Bill Ritter this fall. The GOP certainly doesn’t want to lose the governor’s office, now held by Republican Bill Owens, especially if Democrats retain control of the statehouse.
Congressman Bob Beauprez, backed by the anxious party brass, was seen last year as the 500-pound gorilla who would keep others, like former Congressman Scott McInnis and state Treasurer Mike Coffman, out of the race, saving ammo for the Democratic candidate and freeing up money for the general election. But Marc Holtzman, former University of Denver president, was unbowed by GOP pressure and is committed to staying in the race.
Beauprez believes he has a huge majority of Saturday’s delegates locked up, and he called on Holtzman this week to drop his bid to petition onto the ballot and let delegate voters have final say on the primary ballot. Holtzman needs 30 percent of the delegate vote for a spot on the ballot. He’s already collecting signatures to petition on if he doesn’t reach that threshold. If he gets less than 10 percent of the delegate vote, he can’t even petition.
But he has been plugging away among the grass roots and is now adding TV ads to his effort, so he should be able to achieve that.
The chore for Republicans should be trying to keep their intra-party scrimmage relatively clean and sporting. Another important task for assembly-goers will be crafting a message that resonates with voters increasingly turned off by what they see in Washington and Colorado.
That won’t be easy.
