Republican challenger Scott Tipton said he wore out three pairs of cowboy boots campaigning across the 29 counties of the 3rd Congressional District. But it is the cowboy boots of Democrat U.S. Rep. John Salazar that are headed to Washington.
Salazar said his moderate stance in Congress was key to his garnering nearly 60 percent of the vote.
“I kept my promise. I ran as a moderate. I think that’s what people want. They want us to attend to the people’s business, not to stay in party lines,” Salazar said from a raucous celebration in Pueblo.
Salazar, a seed potato farmer from Manassa, consistently outspent and outpolled Tipton. Salazar spent $1.6 million compared with $707,000 spent by Tipton. Tipton, a Cortez businessman, had to suspend his television ads for several weeks in October to save up campaign funds for a November push.
Tipton ran a scrappy campaign that had him racing across the district to stress his position as a candidate who would “deliver a swift kick” to a Congress in need of a makeover.
Salazar, a first-term congressman, campaigned as a moderate not afraid to vote across party lines and who ranks honesty as a top quality for politicians.
The candidates referred to each other as “nice guys,” but the gloves came off after allegations that Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., had inappropriate contact with minor pages and that the Republican powers-that-be had ignored warnings about his behavior.
Salazar attacked Tipton for not calling for House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s resignation in connection with the scandal. Tipton lashed back at Salazar for supporting liberal Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for speaker if the Democrats take over the House.
2ND: Udall cruises to victory
In the 2nd CD, Democratic incumbent Mark Udall cruised to victory over GOP challenger Rich Mancuso and Libertarian Norm Olsen.
Udall, a four-term congressman from Eldorado Springs, wielded vast amounts of money.
An early foe of the war in Iraq and boasting a sterling track record on environmental issues, Udall staked a claim to the left-of-center stance popular in the district’s liberal bastions, such as Boulder and Aspen.
6TH: Tancredo finishes strong
Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo, known for his tough stance on illegal immigration, easily won re-election.
He attributed his strong showing to the fact that “I was not part of the ‘Washington establishment.’… Who would have ever thought that would end up working in my favor?”
He also said his focus on the immigration issue won him support in a state where that has become a driving issue with voters.
His challenger, Democrat Bill Winter, a Greeley native, lawyer and former Marine, attacked Tancredo for focusing on that single issue to the detriment of his constituents.
Staff writer Steve Lipsher contributed to this report.
