DENVER-
Colorado lawmakers said Friday they are negotiating a plan to move the state’s presidential caucuses from March to Feb. 5 along with several other states, hoping to cash in on the national attention it would bring from candidates.
The hang-up is over whether to include state and local caucuses, which Democrats prefer, or hold two separate meetings as Republicans insist.
Rep. Michael Garcia, D-Aurora, said he hopes to introduce a bill in the next two weeks so lawmakers can consider it before they adjourn in May.
“We seldom see candidates in Colorado. We have no voice in the election,” Garcia said.
House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, said Republicans don’t want to move up the date for caucuses for state offices, including state House of Representatives, because it would give candidates less time to rally their supporters.
Republicans lost control of both chambers in the Legislature in 2004 and hope to retake the House in 2008. To do that, they need to focus not only on the high-profile offices but on lower-tier races as well.
“They would be swallowed up in the presidential campaign,” May said.
Democrats say separate caucuses would cost too much.
Several Western states have moved up their primaries and caucuses or are considering it. Nevada’s caucus is set for Jan. 19, between the Iowa caucus on Jan. 14 and the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 22. Utah and New Mexico have scheduled theirs for Feb. 5.
On Thursday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation shifting that state’s primary to Feb. 5, making it a make-or-break state for presidential candidates instead of a June straggler.
Robert Hardaway, a law professor at the University of Denver, said holding a one-day megaprimary is a bad idea because fewer candidates would be winnowed out by election day and they would split the vote, leaving it to the national convention to pick a candidate.
“The candidates won’t go through the whole vetting process. The convention would ultimately make the decision in a smoke-filled back room,” he said.
Hardaway said Colorado Democrats would probably benefit more than Republicans from earlier caucuses because the Democrats have clear front-runners in the presidential race, who could focus on the general election sooner. The GOP has no clear front-runners yet.
