In Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, incumbent Marilyn Musgrave, a Republican from Fort Morgan, is being challenged by Democrat state Rep. Angie Paccione and Eric Eidsness of the Reform Party.
The 4th Congressional District is made up of 15 counties and a portion of three others, including most of Weld County. It covers all the Eastern Plains counties bordering Kansas and heads west along the Wyoming border into Larimer County.
Musgrave, seeking her third congressional term, is a former state representative and senator who grew up in the district she now represents.
Musgrave said her priorities will be to “continue providing more jobs and improving the economy; securing our porous borders and providing more funding to enforce our current immigration laws; stopping the flood of methamphetamines that are a scourge on northern and eastern Colorado; and continuing to work hard for Colorado agriculture.”
Representing House District 53 for the past four years, Paccione has served as vice chairwoman of the Education Committee.
A native New Yorker, Paccione received a basketball scholarship to Stanford University, from which she graduated with a political science degree.
Paccione lives in Fort Collins.
“My priorities will be strengthening national security, promoting energy independence for America while revitalizing our rural economies, opposing Social Security privatization, and expanding access to affordable health care,” Paccione said. “I will work to reverse cuts to student aid, and pass college tuition tax relief that helps middle-class families. I want to reverse cuts to veterans benefits, and fix the GI Bill and TRICARE to cover the National Guard and Reserve.”
Reform Party candidate Eidsness is a former Republican who was appointed to a post with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by President Ronald Reagan.
Eidsness served as a an officer in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in civil engineering.
Securing water for Coloradans and trimming our dependence on foreign oil are among Eidsness’ priorities, he said.
“Colorado’s future economy, natural environment and the quality of life depends on water storage,” Eidsness said.
As for energy independence Eidsness said: “Imagine not financing Islamic extremists and states that sponsor terrorism with our oil dollars.”
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
