2008 Political Campaigns

By John Schroyer
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Top Western Democrats spent much of last week extolling “the New West” as the “road to the White House.” During a conference call Thursday morning, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Democrats’ ground game gives them a major advantage over the Republicans.

By Leslie Jorgensen
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

COLORADO SPRINGS — A forum on immigration issues took an immediate detour when former Republican Congressman Bob Schaffer trampled Democratic Congressman Mark Udall’s 10-year record on defense issues. Schaffer accused his U.S. Senate opponent of taking positions that showed disregard for both national defense and the economy in El Paso County, home to five military installations.

By John Schroyer
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Energy is becoming the cornerstone issue of Colorado’s U.S. Senate debate, and that was highlighted several times last week as each candidate tried to show how flexible he is. Democrat Mark Udall tried to convince voters that he’s a moderate Democrat who’s open to offshore drilling and nuclear energy, while Republican Bob Schaffer repeatedly insisted that he’s a big fan of renewable energy.

By John Schroyer
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Even after several days of controversy following Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s comment that he’d be interested in renegotiating the 1922 Colorado River Compact, Colorado Democrats seem determined to keep hammering McCain over the perceived misstep until November.

By Stephanie Clary
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

The Latino vote will make the difference in this year’s election, Grace López Ramírez said at the Aug. 20 kickoff of Denver’s Mi Familia Vota campaign.

“It can make it or break it,” said Ramírez, the organization’s state director.

By John Schroyer
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

A few minutes after 10 p.m. Tuesday night, 9News broadcast that former Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald was leading in the three-way race for the Democratic nomination in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, and a cheer went up throughout Fitz-Gerald’s party at the Amalgamated Transit Union Hall in Westminster.

By Leslie Jorgensen
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

COLORADO SPRINGS — U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn hurdled anti-incumbent sentiment and captured 45 percent of the vote to win the 5th Congressional District primary against Republican challengers Jeff Crank and Bentley Rayburn.

Lamborn’s triumph appeared to validate the prediction made by Rayburn and others that two challengers would split the votes of Lamborn’s GOP detractors and deliver victory to the incumbent in the Aug. 12 primary.

By Chris Bragg
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

The four-way primary in the 6th Congressional District was always Mike Coffman’s to lose. And, during a primary campaign that lasted for the better part of a year, that never changed.

Still, the margin of Coffman’s almost 8-point victory on Aug. 12 was a surprise to some, including Coffman’s campaign manager, Dustin Zvonek, considering opponent Wil Armstrong’s late-campaign spending spree.

By the Colorado Statesman Staff

The big primary news came out of the congressional districts, with the victories of Jared Polis in the 2nd Congressional District, Doug Lamborn in the 5th and Mike Coffman in the 6th.

When it came to the Legislature, most eyes were fixed on House District 15, where Mark Waller’s victory over Douglas Bruce might force Statehouse reporters to cover more actual legislative issues this year, in the absence of Bruce’s clownish antics.

By Leslie Jorgensen
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

COLORADO SPRINGS — When Rep. Douglas Bruce was appointed to the House, he refused to be sworn in with the other legislators. The sly Colorado Springs Republican calculated that a delay would create an end-run around term limits and enable him to run and win four consecutive two-year terms in House District 15.

Bruce should have spent more time on manners and less on math.