John Orr: Denver November 2006 Election

? for President?

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 23:33:29 GMT

Here's the link to the Federal Elections 2006: Election Results for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Thanks to Political Wire for the link. They write, "The Federal Election Commission's book of 2006 election returns, Federal Elections 2006, has been released and is available free by calling the FEC at 800-424-9530. The new guide is more in depth than any previous FEC publication of returns and features several illustrative maps. Of course, you can also download it from the agency's website."

Political Wire: "A new New York Times/CBS News poll finds Rudy Giuliani leading the Republican presidential race with 27%, followed by Fred Thompson at 22%, Sen. John McCain at 18% and Mitt Romney at 14%. Last month, Giuliani held a 20-point lead over Thompson, who had not officially declared his candidacy yet. On the Democratic side, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 44%, trailed by Sen. Barack Obama at 26% and John Edwards at 17%."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

State38

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:11:00 GMT

Say hello to State38.com. Our blog pal Jason Bane writes over there. We hadn't noticed it before. Thanks for the link y'all. Here's their RSS Feed.

Colorado Water Congress: Governor Ritter outlines water policy

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:53:13 GMT

Here's a report from yesterday's Colorado Water Congress from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article, "Gov. Bill Ritter and newly appointed Colorado Department of Natural Resources Director Harris Sherman for the first time outlined their water agenda Thursday before the Colorado Water Congress, saying they want to see the state's water basin roundtables succeed. Sherman and Ritter are taking a wait-and-see approach to the basin roundtables as they learn more about how the groups operate. Once that's done, Sherman said he'll make a recommendation to Ritter regarding the roundtables' future...

"Ritter outlined four core principals of his administration's water agenda for Colorado: Conservation; reuse; shared water use; and additional water storage. Conservation, he said, involves educating Front Range residents how to use less water and reminding Coloradans it's 'a scarce resource.' Reuse means recapturing water a city has used so it can be used multiple times before it leaves the state, he said. Ritter, in a written statement [pdf] on the Colorado Water Congress' Web site, said he supports expanding and improving existing water storage facilities before new ones are built. He said he supports shared-use in the form of crop fallowing, which would allow cities to use agricultural water, generating revenue for agricultural communities. Ritter and Sherman said eradicating invasive, water-gulping tamarisk trees are important to conserving water in Colorado. Sherman said if the trees disappeared from the state, Colorado could save up to 150,000 acre-feet of water."

It's worth noting that Governor Ritter didn't repeat his statement from a couple of weeks ago where he was quoted by the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel as saying, "I believe the days of the transmountain diversion are over."

More coverage from the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (free registration required). They write, "In his first major policy statement on water, Gov. Bill Ritter said Thursday a system designed to work out disagreements among users in different parts of the state is getting mixed reviews and he wants to find a way to improve it. Ritter's director of natural resources, Harris Sherman, said backers of three or four major water projects have bypassed the system and are working on their own deals...

"Sherman said the roundtables have succeeded in bringing warring factions together to work on water issues, but he said it's time to start creating solutions. 'There are some issues and concerns I have about this process,' Sherman said. He said it is unclear how the committees work with other water policymakers, including the Colorado Water Conservation Board, which funds major water projects. 'It may be a matter of concern if this is the best vehicle,' he said. The lawmaker who proposed the roundtable system, Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, said a turf battle is under way between the roundtables and the Water Conservation Board. A spokesman for the board did not return a call. Penry said he support's Ritter's decision to study ways to improve the process but believes the governor will keep the basin roundtables."

Category: Colorado Water

Montana Statehouse

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:00:44 GMT

Now this is cool. The Democrats in the Montana legislature have started a group weblog, Montana Statehouse. Thanks to Left in the West for the link.

Category: Denver November 2008 Election

Dems recapture big part of Hispanic vote

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:35:35 GMT

San Jose Mercury News: "Democrats recaptured a big part of the Hispanic vote in the November midterm election, support that Latino activists caution won't necessarily be there in the next contest. Nearly seven in 10 Hispanic voters supported Democrats in the congressional elections, according to exit polls. But that's not the whole story. Republican candidates in several key states did well among Hispanics, suggesting that Latinos could be important swing voters in the 2008 presidential election."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Ritter sworn in as the 41st governor of Colorado

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:07:58 GMT

The North Denver News has the lowdown on today's inauguration. Here's the transcript of Governor Ritter's inauguration address from the Cherry Creek News. Mt. Virtus writes, "Kudos to our new governor Bill Ritter. I wish him good health and personal happiness, though not so much political success."

Colorado Confidential: "It's official. Mike Coffman is Colorado's new Secretary of State. And just to make sure, he took his oath twice."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

Harris Sherman to lead DNR

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:46:51 GMT

Bill Ritter passed by Russell George and named Harris Sherman to lead the Department of Natural Resources, according to 9News.com From the article, "Governor-elect Bill Ritter has appointed Harris Sherman, former head of the Department of Natural Resources, to return as executive director...Sherman served as head of the Department of Natural Resources from 1975 to 1980 under former Governor Dick Lamm. He left to become a senior partner with the law firm of Arnold and Porter, practicing law in the areas of natural resources, environment, water, land-use and public-land use."

More coverage from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. They write, "Sherman, who filled the same post from 1974-1980 under former Gov. Dick Lamm, is a senior partner with the Washington, D.C.-based, law firm of Arnold & Porter LLC. According to his Web site, Sherman specializes in environmental and natural resources law along with Indian affairs, ski area law, energy, public lands and water law...

"Possible climate changes undoubtedly will affect water supplies, which already are being challenged to meet the demands of the expanding Front Range population, Sherman said. He reiterated what Ritter has said, that the Front Range needs to do more to conserve existing water supplies before it looks to the Western Slope for relief...

"Sherman didn't rule out further expansion of Western Slope water storage facilities but said Front Range storage should come first. Any future proposals to develop Western Slope storage need to be addressed on a state-wide basis, he said...

"Penry noted that Sherman is a commissioner on the Denver Water Board, a position that inevitably will come up during the confirmation hearings. Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, who served on the Ritter transition team selection committee for the Department of Natural Resources, said Sherman's prior experience with the DNR along with his strong background in water and natural resources law makes him 'very qualified' to head the department."

From the Rocky Mountain News, "Eddie Kochman, a retired state fisheries manager and a member of one of Ritter's transition committees, credited Sherman with championing the successful effort to establish minimum in-stream flows in Colorado. The standards, which were fought by some water users, ensure that a certain amount of water is maintained in streams and rivers to protect wildlife habitat. 'Time and time again, against great odds, Harris saved that program,' said Kochman, who worked with him to establish the program."

Category: Colorado Water

2006 Election in the west

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:08:21 GMT

Courtney Lowery (via New West): "2006 was a whopper of a year for Western politics. If the year-end roundups all the newspapers are running this weekend are any indication, collectively THE story of the year in the Rocky Mountain West was the November elections, hands down."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

City Council hearings about Election Commission

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:20:35 GMT

Dan Willis (via SquareState.org): "Over the course of the next 36 hours, Denver City Council is going to start the process about changing the structure, or not, and how to do it, of the Denver Election Commission. The first meeting is at 3:30 on Monday to discuss the logistics of a special election on Jan. 30th. The 2nd meeting will be the introduction of the proposals later that evening in regular City Council session starting at 5:30. I am asking everyone who reads this blog and lives in Denver to contact your City Council members (don't forget the two who serve at-large) and weigh in on this prospect, whether you agree with me or not."

Category: Denver May 2007 Election

The shift of money from candidates to independent committees has coarsened political debate

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:39:56 GMT

Here's a short recap of campaign expenditures for the November election from the Denver Post. They write, "Independent political committees, known as 527 groups, raised more than $20 million to bombard voters with television advertisements, phone calls, pollsters and mail. Meanwhile, the gubernatorial candidates - Democratic Gov.-elect Bill Ritter and Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez - raised less than half that amount to promote themselves. 'At least we've succeeded in taking the big money out of politics,' quipped Denver-based political consultant Eric Sondermann.

"On Saturday, Ritter reported raising $418,338 throughout November, lifting his total fundraising to about $4.4 million for the whole campaign. Beauprez's report was not posted at the secretary of state's website, and his congressional spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment. Through the end of October, Beauprez raised about $3.85 million, including $305,000 in loans to himself...

"Most 527 groups filed their post-election reports with the Internal Revenue Service last week, showing a continuing shift by wealthy interests to those independent committees. Fort Collins heiress Pat Stryker gave $2.67 million to 527 groups backing Democratic candidates and liberal causes. Computer entrepreneur Tim Gill provided another $2.44 million to those causes. Trailhead Group - a Republican group formed last year by Gov. Bill Owens, beer magnate Pete Coors and oilman Bruce Benson - reported raising more than $5.2 million, according to filings with the IRS. Coors provided $200,000 of that money and Benson added $75,000. Main Street Colorado - a group that backed Democratic statehouse candidates - raised nearly $2.9 million. Union-affiliated groups were major contributors to Main Street and other Democratic groups."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

Water top election issue for the rainy side of Colorado

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:34:58 GMT

Here's an article about the intersection of water issues and politics in western Colorado from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article, "Water was by far the most important issue to Western Slope voters in the 2006 gubernatorial race, according to poll results released Wednesday by Colorado Conservation Voters. The results of the post-election poll revealed Western Slope voters trusted Gov.-elect Bill Ritter by a 25-point margin over Bob Beauprez on water issues. Carrie Doyle, executive director of the nonpartisan Colorado Conservation Voters, said the poll results showed that when it came time to vote, the Western Slope had the environmental issues that effect their lives most in mind...

"The poll showed that sportsmen across the state split 52 percent to 37 percent in favor of Ritter. Only hunters themselves showed a preference for Beauprez over Ritter, favoring the outgoing Congressman by an eight-point margin. Fishermen favored Ritter by an eight-point margin."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

The gay vote in 2006

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:07:11 GMT

Here's an analysis (pdf) of the 2006 election from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. They write, "In the November 2006 elections, a ballot measure banning same sex marriage failed for the first time in Arizona. In addition, similar measures on the ballot in nine states in 2006 attracted substantially less support than in 2004. To what extent does this indicate that the national wave of enthusiasm for banning same-sex marriage has subsided? And how are lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) voters responding to a continued focus on issues that so clearly affect their lives?

"In this report, we explore these questions using election returns and exit poll data compiled by the National Election Pool."

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link.

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

John Gaydeski resigns

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:43:58 GMT

9News.com: "The Executive Director of the Denver Election Commission (DEC) [ed. John Gaydeski] resigned Wednesday in wake of the problems experienced on Election Day."

Thanks to Colorado Pols for the link.

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

Colorado Media Matters panel

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:53:51 GMT

Wendy Norris reports on yesterday's Colorado Media Matters panel. From the report, "I'm here at the Colorado Media Matters panel facing down John Marshall, campaign manager for Bob Beauprez. I wish I had a 'Bed-wetting Liberal' name tag. Without further ado...On the panel: Jeff Thomas, editor, The Gazette; John Temple, editor/publisher, Rocky Mountain News; Elizabeth Skewes, Asst. Professor, CU School of Journalism; Adam Schrager, political/govt reporter, 9News; Greg Moore, editor, Denver Post; John Marshall, Bob Beauprez campaign; Evan Dreyer, Bill Ritter campaign."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

Elected county clerk for Denver?

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 01:18:32 GMT

Dan Willis (via SquareState.org): "I have just received the text of the proposal that Dennis Gallagher is pushing to change from an Election Commission to an elected County Clerk.

"There is an absolutely unacceptable provision in this proposal. It provides that the person who gets the most votes for Election Commissioner in May will be elected County Clerk if the measure also passes on the same ballot.

"That is ludacrous! How can anyone be expected to run for an office when they don't know for sure which office they are running for? Not to mention there is no provision for run-off in the first election. That means the first County Clerk will be elected with something like 25% of the vote since the top vote getter for Election Commission is usually in that ball park."

City council election commission hearing

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 23:46:17 GMT

Colorado Confidential: "Disgruntled voters, judges and city officials voiced their grievances about the Denver election debacle today in a public hearing before city council."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

Stephen Ludwig: We won

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:45:04 GMT

Regent-At-Large elect Steve Ludwig: "It's official. We won. We declared victory to our supporters on Monday night Nov. 27th, let the press know on Tuesday, Nov.28th, and the Secretary of State made it uber official on Wednesday, Nov. 29th. We won by 5,810 votes, or .91%. For the first time since 1976 a Democrat has been elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

Immigration

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:25:17 GMT

It looks like the debate over immigration helped democrats in the recent election, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Latino voters leaned heavily Democratic in the recent midterm elections, indicating the heated debate over immigration reform may have cost Republicans support in some key races, an analysis released Monday indicates. A study of exit polls by the Pew Hispanic Center showed 69 percent of Latino voters supported Democrats, up from 58 percent in 2004. That compares with a 6 percentage- point increase in Democratic support among white voters. 'It's about more than just the immigration issue; it's about how some Republicans talk about the issue,' said Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. 'They left the impression that it wasn't just about immigration but that (the Latino) community was being targeted in the same way the gay community was targeted in 2004.'"

"According to Pew's analysis, Republicans won in eight of the 12 congressional races where Latinos might have affected the outcome because they made up more than 10 percent of the eligible voters. The four districts that went to Democrats included Colorado's closely contested 7th Congressional District, which has 16 percent eligible Latino voters. Democrat Ed Perl mutter won that seat, previously held by Republican Bob Beauprez, with 55 percent of the vote. The National Council of La Raza did an election eve poll and found that 51 percent of likely Latino voters said immigration was the most important issue or one of the most important issues shaping their vote, said Clarissa Martinez, director of state policy and advocacy for the council. In July, the Pew Hispanic Center found the same sentiment."

Meanwhile Colorado Luis offers up his analysis of the recent spate of legislation targeting illegal immigration on SquareState. Mr. Toro writes, "I suppose I should be grateful to the Boulder Daily Camera for their editorial further cementing the emerging conventional wisdom that the anti-immigrant laws passed during the Special Session have proven to be, to use the Camera's words, an 'extraordinary folly.' But there is something missing from the piece -- any acknowledgment of the sinister force that caused otherwise reasonable Democratic legislators to abandon their stated principles and pass a bunch of ill-considered bills. It's called racism, and frankly I have a hard time taking seriously any discussion of the politics of immigration in Colorado that doesn't even mention the word. When you pass a bunch of laws aimed at undocumented immigrants, without knowing the impact (positive or negative) on the state, then by definition you are acting out of prejudice."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Women and politics

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 13:33:21 GMT

Christian Science Monitor: "When the winners of the Nov. 7 elections are sworn in in January, Democratic women - and some Republicans - will have cause to cheer: The House will have its first female speaker, Nancy Pelosi (D) of California. Congress will have its largest corps of women ever - 16 in the Senate and at least 71 in the House, from both parties. And in the states, women will hold nine governorships, tied with the record set in 2004, and other elective statewide jobs that could position them for higher office. Sarah Palin (R) will become Alaska's first woman governor. For the first time, the chair of the National Governors Association will be a woman, Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) of Arizona. In state legislatures, a record 2,426 women were general-election candidates, and unofficial results show 1,735 winning, which would be a record. In addition, women appear set to build on their record number of top leadership spots in state legislatures. Women voters were also pivotal this year. While a majority of both women and men nationwide voted Democratic on Nov. 7 - 56 percent of women and 51 percent of men - the gender gap proved decisive for Democrats in a handful of key Senate races."

Thanks to Political Wire for the link.

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

GOP midterm losses

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 13:30:55 GMT

Here's a hilarious look at the effects of the November 7th election in D.C. Thanks to Josh Marshall for the link.

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Ludwig or Davidson for Regent At-Large?

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 13:13:59 GMT

We still don't know if Steve Ludwig or Brian Davidson won the C.U. Regent-At-Large race, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "More than two weeks after the election, Democrat Stephen Ludwig thinks he will be the next University of Colorado regent-at-large - but he's still not sure. Slow vote counts in Denver and Boulder have delayed the final results in Ludwig's close contest with Republican Brian Davidson. 'I'm cautiously optimistic,' Ludwig, who is awaiting the final count of provisional ballots in Boulder County, said Tuesday. Ludwig has been keeping a running tally and believes he is leading Davidson by 6,000 votes."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

Evangelicals and elections

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:25:10 GMT

Here's an article about evangelical influence on elections from the Colorado Springs Gazette. They write, "Evangelical Christians in El Paso County can take some good news and some bad news from the recent election. The good news is that the Ted Haggard debacle a week before the election appeared to have little impact on results...

"The bad news for evangelicals who remain loyal Republicans is that their influence may wane in a party that is looking to swerve to America's middle so that it can better compete with Democrats. The drubbing taken by Sen. Rick Santorum, the Republican evangelical Christian from Pennsylvania, underscored what looks like a big swing of the political pendulum. The looming question comes down to this: Did Republicans lose their religion or did they scare off moderates with religious zealotry? 'I think the big story of 2006 is the support for Democrats by religious moderates,' said David Domke, a professor at the University of Washington who has written several books on the relationship between evangelicals and the Republican Party. 'The GOP is not the only game in town for Christian voters,' Domke said. 'The Democrats have made tremendous inroads.' The best Colorado example is Gov.-elect Bill Ritter, an antiabortion Catholic who spent three years as a missionary in Zambia. Throughout the campaign, no one questioned Ritter[base ']s faith. It allowed the Democrat to focus on education, the environment, the economy and other key issues. He won handily."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Did weblogs influence elections this year?

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:10:14 GMT

Captains Quarters: "Jon Henke, one of my earliest friends in the blogosphere, spent the last three months trying to rescue a flailing George Allen campaign in Virginia, landing himself in the middle of one of the biggest mud-flinging campaigns of the election season. Having had that kind of experience, Jon had a unique vantage point from which to see the interaction between political parties, voters, and the blogosphere. He's written his post-mortem, in which he congratulates the liberal blogs for their impact."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Moderates on the rise?

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 14:15:37 GMT

Fred Brown offers up some analysis of the recent election in his column in today's Denver Post. He writes, "After the 2004 election, a number of hard-line Democrats complained they'd never win again unless the party 'returned to its base.' Go left, in other words. Democrats should stop trying to act like Republicans, the argument went. To heck with the Clintonesque "third way"; forget moderation and accommodation. Now we're hearing similar noise from the right. The Republicans have taken "a thumpin'," as the president articulated it, in the 2006 elections. And so now there's a clamor, offstage right, to take a harder line. Colorado's own James Dobson says Republicans have betrayed 'values voters,' and those voters 'are not going to carry the water for the Republican Party if it ignores their deeply held convictions and beliefs.' The message is virtually the same. Beware bipartisanship! Moderation is abomination! But if anything should be clear from the elections just passed, it's the opposite of this argument. Democrats didn't win because they swerved left; they won with candidates who offered non-threatening centrist positions."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Election spending

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 13:11:37 GMT

Here's a analysis of election expenses from the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Independent political groups in Colorado raised more than $17 million to dominate this year's battle for control of state government. The result was an electorate bombarded by mostly negative advertising developed by the 527 committees outside the control of the candidates...

"And just like they did at the polls, Colorado Democrats swamped their Republicans counterparts in spending on races for governor and the state legislature."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election