Former state Rep. Jon Keyser
Sen. Tim Neville on opening day of the 2012 session. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
The two Republican state lawmakers who entered the U.S. Senate race took different paths from the start: Rep. Jon Keyser resigned his seat. Sen. Tim Neville kept his post.
The benefits and pitfalls of each strategy are starting to manifest for both candidates as the contest of the GOP nomination heats up. What exemplifies the divide the most is a recent fundraising pitch from Keyser in which he blasted state House Democrats for rejecting five gun bills.
Democrats have shown time and time again that they have no respect for our Second Amendment rights, he wrote in an e-mail that asked for campaign donations to beat Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.
What Keyser didn t mention: Neville is a co-sponsor of four of the five bills.
Neville is using his legislative seat to outline an agenda that dovetails with his Senate bid. He also raised campaign cash on the back of his gun bills — and recently gave away an AR-15 rifle to a campaign donor.
But because he didn t stay in his legislative seat, Keyser can t tout his own legislation on the trail. It puts him in the awkward position of raising money off his rival s bills.
Neville took issue with Keyser s fundraising e-mail in a recent interview and suggested his opponent is weak on the issue. I think his record speaks for itself, Neville said.
The remark is a subtle dig that references an April 2015 vote on the House floor after four Republican lawmakers tried to resurrect a bill to repeal the state s 15-round limit on ammunition magazines.
Democrats voted down the gun measure in committee a day earlier, but Republicans wanted to keep it alive with an unheard of procedural move to amend the House journal. Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst ruled the motion out-of-order, but on appeal, it went to a vote.
Five Republicans sided with Democrats to reject the move, including Keyser. It s Keyser s only recorded vote on guns, the Neville campaign contends, so it s indicative of his stance on guns.
Keyser takes offense to the suggestion, particularly given his battlefield service in the U.S. Air Force. He said he supports all five bills and has a concealed carry permit.
There wasn t a gun vote. It’s preposterous for him to try to say something like that, Keyser said in a recent interview. That s what politicians do. He s grasping at straws.
There s no question I m the strongest supporter of the Second Amendment in the race, he continued, because frankly I m the only one that s actually fought to support and defend the constitution.
Neville s decision to retain his seat also has its disadvantages. For one, he is open to criticism that he s using his seat for campaign purposes. And more importantly, the campaign is taking him away from his legislative responsibilities.
Neville missed two legislative days in early March for campaign business — including the day the House killed all five gun bills. His campaign manager (and son) Joe Neville said he didn t miss any key votes in the Senate those days.
So far this session, according to the bill tracking service Colorado Capitol Watch, Neville missed seven final votes and five committee votes for excused absences. It s unclear if all are related to his campaign.
Joe Neville dismissed criticism about the candidate keeping his seat, saying we are able to walk and chew gum at the same time.
The thing we are proud of most is that we didn t walk out on our constituents, Joe Neville said.
, Keyser took at shot at Neville for not stepping down from his seat amid the campaign. Keyser resigned in January after only one year in the House.
“I don’t think that anybody who is serious about beating Michael Bennet can do anything but dedicate 100 percent of their time” to that goal, said Keyser.
