For 35 years the 1st Congressional District has been a bastion for Democrats.
But that isn’t stopping two Republicans — George Lilly and Charles R. Crain — from challenging incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, who has served the district since 1997.
Lilly said he is running on a number of issues, but the economy is the most important. He said that if he’s elected, he wants to work to restore the gold standard.
He said the low approval ratings for Congress suggest that people aren’t happy with the Democratic leadership.
“All I know is I had people come up to me and say, ‘Hey, my neighbor is a Democrat, and they want to vote for you,'” he said.
Crain, whose residency was listed at St. Francis Center, a shelter for the homeless, could not be reached for comment.
The odds are against the two Republicans, political scientists say. Democrats make up most of district, which includes Denver, Glendale and Cherry Hills Village.
Lilly is no stranger to running for Congress. Lilly challenged DeGette as an unaffiliated candidate in 2004, when he received 2.1 percent of the votes.
There are a few things he’d like to do differently this year, he said.
“Well, I think what I’d like to do is have a huge number of volunteers and lots of money,” he said, laughing. “That’s what I’d like to change. Those are some key factors. I’d would very much so like a campaign manager.”
He has also picked up a major endorsement: Rep. Ron Paul, who ran for president this year.
But that still doesn’t change the dynamics.
Bob Loevy, a political science professor at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, said Republicans have a “0 percent” chance of unseating the DeGette.
He said that even if it looked like it were going to be a Republican year, the Democrats would prevail.
“The result is the people who run for these seats are maybe out there to make a footnote in history,” he said. “Sometimes you wonder if they’re so uninformed that they don’t realize the real situation.”
DeGette said her priority is to make sure the Democratic National Convention goes smoothly. But once that is over with, she will campaign aggressively.
“I never take any election for granted,” she said. “I think it’s important to make my case to the voters every two years why they should rehire me. … It’s up to the citizens to decide whether I’m doing a good job.”
Christopher Sanchez: 303-954-1698 or csanchez@denverpost.com
