WASHINGTON — State Rep. Sal Pace, a 34-year-old Pueblo political-science professor, said Tuesday he would challenge Republican Rep. Scott Tipton of Cortez for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
Pace, D-Pueblo, said he has trips planned to all four corners of the large district in his bid to unseat Tipton, who was elected to his U.S. House seat last year.
“I want to hear concerns, and I want to hear about what Washington does well and what it shouldn’t do,” Pace said. “People care about government accountability and transparency and protecting our rural way of life in southern Colorado and western Colorado.”
Pace, who moved to Durango as a teenager and graduated from Fort Lewis College before earning a master’s degree from Louisiana State University, said his “values are in sync with people in the 3rd Congressional District.”
Asked about Pace in a radio interview Tuesday, Tipton played down the announcement and did not mention Pace by name.
“We may have a number of Democrat candidates,” he said on the “Cari and Rob Show.” “That’s fine; that’s how the process works.”
Pace’s announcement follows comments made last month by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who told The Denver Post’s editorial board that Pace and state Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, who would run against freshman Republican Rep. Cory Gardner of Yuma in the 4th Congressional District, were “committed” to running.
Shaffer has yet to formally announce. In an e-mail Tuesday, Shaffer said he was “flattered by the attention, but sincerely want to take some time to recharge my batteries after a busy (legislative) session, and discuss the decision with my family. I’m not trying to be disrespectful or rude, I just want to be thoughtful before making a decision.”
Republicans on Tuesday said Colorado voters deserve honesty and that Shaffer should “come clean about his congressional ambitions,” said Tyler Houlton, a spokesman at the National Republican Congressional Committee.
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Allison Sherry: 202-662-8907 or asherry@denverpost.com
