Colorado election officials and political candidates dashed toward today’s Election Day finish line – with about 1.5 million voters expected to pick the next governor and decide several controversial issues on one of the longest ballots in the state’s history.
Colorado voters also will be deciding control of the statehouse and some of the nation’s highest-profile congressional races.
The contestants for the state’s top political office continued to push hard Monday to round up votes.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez traveled along the Front Range encouraging volunteers as they walked precincts and made phone calls to voters.
His Democratic opponent, Bill Ritter, took his vote-gathering drive to the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver and to the heart of Beauprez’s congressional district in Arvada.
“We’re not giving anything up,” Ritter said as his “Colorado Promise” tour bus headed to Old Town Arvada, a district of small shops. Ritter plans to head to Colorado Springs – a bastion of conservative Republicans – today.
The secretary of state is expecting 900,000 to 1 million voters to go to the polls today, according to spokeswoman Dana Williams.
Estimates from county officials around the state indicate about 500,000 voters have already voted early or by absentee ballot.
Williams expects final turnout to be slightly higher than the 1.4 million who cast ballots in the 2002 midterm elections.
“We think based on this year’s very competitive gubernatorial race and the controversial ballot initiatives and referenda, there will be a higher turnout,” Williams said.
Voting on varied issues
From gay marriage and minimum wage to term limits and pot possession, voters will decide on many issues.
Voters will be deciding whether to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage and raise the minimum wage.
Voters also are considering whether to legalize the possession of marijuana by adults, limit the terms of judges and recognize same-sex partnerships.
The marquee statewide candidate battle is the race to replace Gov. Bill Owens, who is leaving office because of term limits.
During the lunch hour, Beauprez returned to his campaign headquarters in Englewood to thank volunteers with plaudits and hugs.
Beauprez, who has been lagging in polls, said momentum is now behind him.
This election, he said, reminds him of his first run for Congress in 2002 where he said polls showed him down, but he went on to squeak out a win.
“I really think that this is a jump ball. I wouldn’t have said that a month ago. A month ago our base primarily wasn’t there, and now our base is fired up,” Beauprez said.
Ritter feasted on tamales at La Casita, a restaurant owned by Democratic power broker and former state Sen. Paul Sandoval, between shaking hands with voters in downtown Denver and Arvada.
Ritter, who has led by up to 22 percentage points in recent polls, said he will continue to focus on getting voters to the polls.
Throughout the day, Ritter staffers dialed phones and prepared its dispatch operations for the 17 vans in Denver that will deliver voters to the polls.
Democratic candidates for other statewide offices joined Ritter on the mall.
Cary Kennedy, candidate for treasurer, also hit the morning radio talk shows while Ken Gordon, who is running for secretary of state, campaigned with signs at busy intersections in Jefferson County.
Republican statewide candidates campaigned on their own.
Mike Coffman, the current treasurer running to become secretary of state, coordinated a get-out-the-vote telephone banking effort throughout the day. He also appeared at a news conference in Lone Tree in support of an effort to donate soccer balls to Iraq.
Meanwhile, Mark Hillman, the Republican candidate for treasurer, made himself available to morning talk shows and campaigned in northern Colorado, where he did honk-and-waves in Greeley and Fort Collins.
In the 7th Congressional District race, Republican candidate Rick O’Donnell stumped with Owens, waving signs at the corner of South Wadsworth Boulevard and West Alameda Avenue. Owens also appeared at O’Donnell’s campaign headquarters to give a boost to the campaign’s phone-bank efforts.
Democrat Ed Perlmutter campaigned with U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, walking a precinct with Salazar on Monday evening. Throughout the day, Perlmutter did honk-and-waves at key intersections in the district.
In northeastern Colorado, Democrat Angie Paccione is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave. In central Colorado’s open 5th Congressional District, Republican Doug Lamborn and Democrat Jay Fawcett are locked in a closely watched race.
Staff writers Katy Human and Christopher N. Osher contributed to this report.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-954-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
