The hard-fought and costly race for the 2nd Congressional District pits three very different Democratic candidates with similar views on the biggest issues.
There’s party stalwart Joan Fitz- Gerald, the first female state Senate president, who boasts the support of traditional Democratic institutions such as labor unions.
There’s Internet millionaire Jared Polis, generous financier of political races, who helped establish the statehouse’s Democratic majority and became a player himself when elected to the State Board of Education.
And there’s longtime conservationist Will Shafroth, outmatched in money and recognition, who emerged as a threat via a door-to-door campaign and a strong fundraising effort.
All are vying in the Aug. 12 primary to replace five-term U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, in what is considered a safe Democratic seat. Udall is running for Colorado’s open Senate seat.
Their similar pro-environment, anti-Iraq-war and pro-universal- health-care stances leave voters to make their decisions based more on style than policy, say analysts such as Floyd Ciruli.
“Tell me the issue that is driving that election,” Ciruli said. “There just hasn’t been a race like this. Clearly, it’s the richest (congressional) primary we’ve ever had in Colorado. And it’s hard to predict.”
As of Tuesday, the three candidates had raised a combined $7.7 million, led by Polis, who has contributed $3.7 million of his own money to his campaign.
The candidates say that although they generally agree, there are differences in the details.
Shafroth’s plan for the environment has more ambitious goals for carbon- emission reductions and fuel-economy standards than his opponents, for example.
“When you go to Congress, you have to decide how you will spend your time,” Shafroth said. “Energy and the environment . . . are not just things I’ve come to in the course of this election. I would be the very first professional conservationist to be elected.”
Fitz-Gerald points out she is the only candidate who wants to entirely scrap No Child Left Behind and start anew. But more than her stance on a particular issue, she says, she has proved herself as someone who is able to craft bills and guide them through the grueling compromises of a legislature.
“A blank slate is great, but what people really want from their elected officials is not a checklist” of what they support, Fitz-Gerald said. “Who’s going to go to Washington and do the work to make this thing better? These are long, long hours.”
Polis points out that his plans on providing child care for low-income families and helping with the mortgage crisis are more detailed than his competitors’.
“I’ve really been very substantive about what I plan to do in Congress, from child care to pine beetles,” Polis said. “These are real solutions to the problems voters face.”
The victor is anybody’s guess, analysts say.
Some think Shafroth and Polis will split the more progressive Boulder and Summit County vote while Fitz-Gerald walks away with Jefferson and Adams counties.
Other scenarios have Fitz-Gerald and Polis fighting each other to a standstill and letting Shafroth take the lead.
Ciruli points out that the well-funded Polis is likely polling voters frequently, so watching his campaign is the best sign about where the candidates are ranked.
Right now, the Polis camp continues to attack Fitz-Gerald in its literature and debuts a new television commercial every week.
That likely means Fitz-Gerald is at the top, analyst Ciruli said, though he said the seat could still go to power spender Polis or shoe-leather Shaf roth.
“The 2nd CD is a very educated district. It’s not just a question of getting your name out there,” he said. “You have to convince people you’re the alternative they want.”
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
