Despite a lewd self-directed video, a false-start dirty trick and the uphill political battle in Aspen, Rick Magnuson says he wants to be taken seriously in his campaign to unseat Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis.
“I’m not a politician,” Magnuson, 41, acknowledged. “I have the name recognition out there, but it’s maybe not for the right reasons.”
The Aspen community-safety officer knew he’d have a tough-enough battle to beat Braudis, an easygoing community icon who hasn’t been challenged in an election for 20 years.
But Magnuson’s campaign got off to a rough start when he tracked down Braudis at an alcohol-rehabilitation facility and left a message for the sheriff to call a local newspaper editor – a stunt viewed as a low blow that Magnuson now says he regrets.
Then, he attracted unwanted national attention after word was leaked that he had produced a “performance-art” video depicting him masturbating in the desert that had gotten play on community television.
Magnuson terms those incidents as “distractions” that obscure the real issues at stake.
“I think some of the papers are interested in the drama and controversy surrounding this race. But when it comes down to it, the voters do have a choice between a sheriff who’s had the office for 20 years and been fairly inactive in a lot of policies and a challenger who wants to modernize,” he said.
Among his proposals for change, Magnuson wants to beef up enforcement of drug laws through the use of undercover officers – a tactic Braudis famously opposes – and station safety officers in each school.
While Magnuson has been garnering headlines, Braudis quietly has been going about his business on the campaign trail, racking up scores of endorsements from community leaders and taking in contributions. (Magnuson accepted a few contributions early on but later returned them, deciding that he “didn’t like how it felt.”)
“I’ve taken Rick’s candidacy seriously,” said Braudis, 61, a self-described former ski bum. “I’m not viewing it as a slam dunk. I’m out there at every event and caucus meeting, and I’m getting an awful lot of support.”
His star-spangled contributors list includes “60 Minutes” reporter Ed Bradley, artist Ralph Steadman, ski-clothing magnate Klaus Obermeyer and musician Jimmy Ibbotson.
“Imbued with a Rocky Mountain libertarian spirit, (Braudis) is the reason Pitkin County leads the nation in compassionate and smart law enforcement,” historian and news analyst Doug Brinkley wrote for Braudis’ website.
A close friend of the late writer Hunter S. Thompson, Braudis revels in his ability to get along with all types.
“I can sit down and have a conversation with a homeless dude who just got out of jail and doesn’t know where he’s going next or the president of a multinational corporation who has a $20 million second home here,” he said, noting that his contributors include “mechanics and millionaires.”
An imposing presence at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Braudis doesn’t carry a gun and never wears his uniform.
“I have a uniform,” he chuckled, insinuating that he might not know exactly where it is.
But Braudis dismisses criticism of his laid-back approach to law enforcement as being out of step with Aspen, a community with very little violent crime.
“Keeping the peace is basically my primary mission,” he said. “When we have a violent crime in Pitkin County, we drop everything else because we can.”
Braudis disdains the use of undercover agents, however, arguing that they undermine the public trust. Still, he said that his department follows up on any tips and enforces all laws.
Magnuson argues that the Sheriff’s Office hasn’t gotten a single drug dealer convicted and fails to crack down sufficiently on drunken driving.
He believes the agency could use an infusion of new energy, which is why he has fought so hard to make it a race.
First, he had to persuade the City Council last spring to repeal a law prohibiting city employees from running for elected office.
Now, he is in the midst of a five-week hiatus from work to focus on the autumn campaign.
“I am serious,” Magnuson said. “I think I have a fair chance, if people will listen to the issues.”
Staff writer Steve Lipsher can be reached at 970-513-9495 or slipsher@denverpost.com.
