Voters in Denver next month will settle one of this year’s most heated primary battles for state Senate.
There are three contested Senate primaries on the Aug. 12 ballot, while a total of 19 of the 35 seats are up this year.
In Senate District 35, which lies in southeast Denver, Democrats Joyce Foster and Alice Borodkin will square off. The winner will face Republican Bob Lane.
The District 35 seat had been held by Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, who was termed out this year.
Foster, 64, served on the Denver City Council for 10 years, while Borodkin, 75, served in the House for the last eight years.
The race has been marked by nasty exchanges over ethics, with Borodkin saying Foster won’t be able to serve constituents effectively because her son is a lobbyist, and, thus, she would have to constantly recuse herself.
Foster has fired back by saying her son’s job won’t cause any conflict and by accusing Borodkin of nepotism because she hired her daughter as a legislative aide.
Foster points to her decade-long tenure on the City Council, saying she had significant involvement in flood control, parks and transportation projects.
“I”m very positive and effective,” she said.
To ease traffic congestion along Interstate 70, she favors an elevated light-rail system running as far as Summit County. Foster doesn’t have a specific plan to finance it, but says the state should look at a variety of options, including bonds.
On health care, Foster supports a single-payer, universal coverage system, something that a special commission examining the topic last year said would cost the state billions of dollars. Foster agrees the costs are significant, but says the savings will be great too, as emergency room visits drop in light of preventive care.
She thinks voters would support a tax increase for health care if they knew that they wouldn’t have to deal with rising premiums.
Borodkin touts her legislation that created a breast cancer license plate and her bill that created a human-trafficking task force.
“I think I’ve accomplished quite a bit,” she said.
Borodkin, who sits on the House Transportation Committee, said she didn’t know if tolling on I-70 was the answer, saying tolling creates congestion. She said elevated light rail is expensive.
“Everything takes money,” Borodkin said. “I really don’t have the answer. There are better heads than mine that don’t have a solution, either.”
She said much the same about health care. There are no quick solutions, and it’s better to take an incremental approach, she said.
“Does anybody have a solid answer to this? I doubt it.”
Borodkin recently sent out a mailer attacking Foster over the fact that her son, David, is a lawyer and lobbyist who has represented clients in city and state matters.
“How many things would she have to recuse herself from?” Borodkin asked.
Foster said she would abstain from voting on issue involving her son’s lobbying work. She pointed to Borodkin’s hiring of her own daughter, Julie, as a legislative aide, calling it “nepotism.”
Borodkin said she checked with staff attorneys before making the move.
“I was told as long as Julie follows the rules, it’s fine,” Borodkin said.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
