Though it surprises us, news that Rep. John Salazar is on the short list of those being considered for secretary of Agriculture is encouraging.
Having a San Luis Valley farmer and rancher at the helm could be good for Colorado.
Besides farming, caring for our national forests also falls under the jurisdiction of the Department Agriculture. National forests are obviously critical to Colorado, especially considering such serious concerns as the massive pine bark beetle infestation killing our lodgepole trees, and a broken system for preventing and dealing with forest fires.
We are surprised by the choice, because President-elect Barack Obama so far has picked individuals with stronger credentials — men and women steeped in public policy and with years of experience. Six years ago, Salazar hadn’t even held a public office.
His real-world experience of farming and ranching experience is solid. He grew up in a family that has been farming for several generations. After gaining his bachelor’s degree at Adams State in Alamosa and serving for three years in an Army investigations unit, Salazar returned to farming.
He raises potato seeds and cattle, and is one of the few active farmers in Congress.
Salazar was elected to the state legislature in 2002, and then ran for Congress when U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis, a Republican, announced in 2003 that he would retire. Salazar easily won re-election last month. His district, the 3rd CD, is enormous, encompassing Pueblo and much of the Western Slope.
He ran as a centrist and has served as one. His appointments include a seat on the Agriculture Committee. According to Post reporter Anne C. Mulkern, that committee’s chairman suggested Salazar to Obama’s transition team.
But if Obama picks Salazar, he could run the risk of losing the 3rd CD to Republican control.
The district holds 9,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats, and the effort that Salazar made to woo independent voters underscores the delicate political situation a new Democratic contender would inherit.
An exemplar of this delicacy can be found in one of the Democrats who would be a popular choice to run for the 3rd, former state Rep. Bernie Buescher, who was one of the few Democrats to lose a race in November. Republicans say they would have a strong chance to win, and they have a rising star in the district in state Sen. Josh Penry. Some political pundits, however, speculate Penry might prefer to run for governor in 2010.
But there are others, such as Scott Tipton, who ran against Salazar in 2006. And a new race would be fascinating way to gain insight on how the GOP is doing here so soon in its efforts to re-calibrate.
