John Orr: Denver November 2004 Election

Salazar's Growing Influence

Mon, 06 Jun 2005 14:09:01 GMT

USA Today highlights some of the influence that freshman legislators are having on politics inside the beltway. They mention Colorado's own, Ken Salazar. Category: Denver November 2004 Election

New U.S. Attorney?

Tue, 31 May 2005 13:58:24 GMT

From today's Denver Post: "The waiting game is just about over for three prominent Colorado lawyers wanting to be the state's next U.S. attorney. 'We're getting very close' to a decision, says U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard's spokesman, Sean Conway." "Dispelling rumors that the White House was underwhelmed by the choices, Conway believes the administration soon will select either Troy Eid, former legal counsel for Gov. Bill Owens; Jim Peters, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District; or Stu VanMeveren, district attorney for the 8th Judicial District." "All three have undergone an extensive interview process in hopes of replacing John Suthers, who was named Colorado Attorney General after Salazar was elected to the Senate." Category: Denver November 2004 Election

How did the Salazars Win?

Mon, 30 May 2005 14:13:09 GMT

Here's a look at the past at Ken Salazar's (and John's) win last november from the Rocky Mountain News [May 30, 2005, "Study dissects Salazars' winning ways"]. From the article, "The campaigns 'de-emphasized their standing as Latino candidates. They reconstructed themselves as farmers and businessmen,' said (Anna) Sampaio, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Colorado at Denver. The Salazars were able to galvanize Hispanic voters while appealing to a large number of non-Hispanics, just as Antonio Villaraigosa did in Los Angeles recently to become the city's first Hispanic mayor in more than a century. Ken Salazar beat his Republican opponent in the U.S. Senate race, brewery executive Pete Coors, with more than 52 percent of the vote. John Salazar defeated former state natural resources director Greg Walcher, of Palisade, for the 3rd Congressional District seat that represents all or part of 29 counties in western and south-central Colorado. He won by about 13,000 votes - a considerable margin in a district in which Republicans hold a narrow plurality." Category: Denver November 2004 Election

'04 Turnout

Thu, 26 May 2005 16:42:11 GMT

Here's an article from the Rocky Mountain news about voter turnout in last fall's elections [May 26, 2005, "'04 vote brought out young"]. From the article, "The census survey found the number of Colorado voters aged 18 to 24 rose from 84,000 in 2000 to 212,000 in 2004. The percentage of all young residents who cast ballots rose from 21 percent in 2000 to 44 percent in 2004, on a par with national figures of 17 percent and 45 percent respectively." State Democrats raised more campaign dough than Republicans, outside of Colorado, according to the Denver Post [May 6, 2005, "Dems far outdrew GOP in '04 out-of-state cash]." They write, "Colorado Democrats raised nearly 19 times as much out-of-state money as Republicans did during the 2004 election cycle, according to a report to be released today by the Center for Public Integrity." Colorado Luis: "So much for the Salazar effect, you say? Well, perhaps not. Only 63% of "Hispanic" adults in Colorado are citizens who can vote in the first place, so the percentage of eligible Latino voters who actually voted is in the forty percent range. And of registered Latinos, 81% voted, which suggests both that there was a Salazar effect and that the strong efforts to get eligible Latinos registered that were made last year need to continue." Category: Denver November 2004 Election

Sun, 20 Mar 2005 14:07:20 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election How is Senator Salazar doing? Some critics think he should switch to the Republican party. Here's a story from today's Denver Post [March 20, 2005, "Sen. Salazar crosses the aisle"]. From the article, "in his first 81 votes, he split 64 times with conservative Republican and fellow Coloradan Sen. Wayne Allard on reliably partisan votes such as abortion protests and oil drilling in Alaska. They've voted together 17 times. Of those, eight were feel-good measures that passed overwhelmingly. But some of the other nine were significant breaks with fellow Democrats. Voting to confirm Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice struck Salazar's liberal critics as an endorsement of torture and the Iraq war. And those same folks wonder how a Democrat who talks about growing up poor could vote with credit-card companies to make it harder for people to use bankruptcy to get out of debt."

Tue, 08 Feb 2005 13:36:54 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election John Suthers was sworn in as Colorado Attorney General yesterday, according to the Denver Post [February 8, 2005, "Suthers sworn in as AG, pledges to fight fraud"]. From the article, "He will finish the term of Democrat Ken Salazar, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November...Another priority is protecting Colorado's water. The state also should resolve claims it has made against those that permanently damaged Colorado's environment at mining sites, Rocky Flats and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal."

Sat, 05 Feb 2005 15:51:51 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election From the Rocky Mountain News, "Former U.S. Attorney John Suthers will be sworn in next week as Colorado's attorney general. The state Senate on Friday confirmed Suthers' nomination to replace Ken Salazar, who resigned the post after he was elected to the U.S. Senate." Here's the coverage from the Denver Post [February 5, 2005, "Senate confirms Suthers as state's attorney general"].

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 13:26:58 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election John Suthers nomination for State Attorney General cleared the committee hurdle stage yesterday and now goes to the full Senate, according to the Denver Post [February 1, 2005, "Nominee for AG heads to full Senate"]. From the article, "Senators asked him whether he would support laws that he personally opposed - such as abortion rights, affirmative action and medical marijuana. Suthers said his job is to uphold the state's laws and that he would enforce laws even if he did not agree with them. The hearing provided a glimpse into the politics of the Capitol. Sen. Dan Grossman, D-Denver, presided over the panel's inquiry but declined to vote because he plans to run for attorney general next year." Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News [February 1, 2005, "Suthers step closer to AG"]. Update: 5280 Weblog: "Colorado Attorney General Nominee John Suthers, currently the U.S. Attorney for Colorado, sailed through his confirmation hearing, if you go by the vote total [~] it was 6-0 for confirmation. But, eight people took the time to address the commmittee in person and air their complaints with Suthers."

Sun, 16 Jan 2005 15:12:28 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election The confirmation hearings for John Suthers' nomination as Colorado Attorney General should start this month. The Denver Post has a short article today about his involvment with politics as U.S. Attorney which would have been a violation of Justice Department policy [January 16, 2005, "Suthers faces questions on Justice Dept. probe"]. From the article, "Suthers said the investigation, which he described as politically motivated, uncovered no wrongdoing. He declined to release a copy of the investigation report. 'They concluded I had not actively engaged in any politics,' said Suthers, who also served as district attorney for El Paso and Teller counties from 1989 until 1997 and head of the state Corrections Department after that. 'That was the end of it. There was no sanction.'"

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 13:21:45 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election It didn't look good for Mitch Morrisey when he ended up having to petition to get on the August primary ballot after the county assembly, but yesterday he was sworn in as Denver District Attorney. Here's the coverage from the Denver Post [January 11, 2005, "New DA vows he'll keep city safe"]. The Post quotes Morrisey, ""I have handled cases that cover the entire spectrum of criminal behavior - serial murderers and serial rapists. These were people who needed to be prosecuted to the fullest degree of the law and I will continue to protect this great city from these predators ... But I have also learned that there is a time for empathy and measured consideration," he said. "There are fellow citizens who cannot overcome the tragic circumstances of their lives; there are those who lose hope and fall prey to addictions; there are people who do impulsive things who are not violent or dangerous. ... We need to make sure they get a second chance in life."

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 00:46:52 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Mitch Morrisey took over for Bill Ritter as Denver District Attorney today. I know Mr. Morrisey and I like him. Good luck.

Sun, 09 Jan 2005 14:09:17 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Here's a look at Citizen Initiatives from the Denver Post [January 9, 2005, "Citizens amend political reality"]. From the article, "Colorado has become one of the most activist states in the country in using citizen-sponsored initiatives to create laws, complicating the work of lawmakers who convene in Denver this week. While state legislators across the country wield great power over the lives of the citizens they represent, Colorado's leaders must sometimes yield to the citizens' ability to write laws and constitutional amendments."

Sat, 08 Jan 2005 14:04:30 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that the Scientific and Cultural District owes various county governments over $700,000 as their share of last fall's election [January 8, 2005, "SCFD owes $700,000"]. RTD is also over budget with some counties according to the Rocky [January 8, 2005, "RTD vote overbudget"]. From the article, "Counties apportion election costs among the various entities on the ballot, including statewide amendments and initiatives."

Wed, 05 Jan 2005 12:24:42 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Ken Salazar is not the U.S. Senator-elect from Colorado any longer. He was sworn in yesterday, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 5, 2004, "Salazar brothers take office"]. Congratulations Senator. Give 'em hell in inside the beltway. The Denver Post editorial staff sounds off on Senator Salazar and Congressman Salazar today [January 5, 2004, "Salazars take office inside the Beltway"]. They write, "Shortly after he was elected, it was clear Ken Salazar was ready to dive into his work. He's already met with attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzales and eventually could cast a key vote on his confirmation. (So far, he says he expects to help confirm Gonzales.) And he recently signalled that he won't be steamrolled, saying Republicans can expect a "bloody fight" if they try limiting filibusters on judicial nominees. He said it would send the wrong signal about the parties working together and suggested unnecessary showdowns can be avoided by President Bush consulting with both parties before making nominations."

Mon, 03 Jan 2005 13:26:43 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Here's an article about the influence of groups outside of campaigns on the recent election, from the Rocky Mountain News [January 3, 2005, "Outsiders fueled election"]. From the article, "Outside groups raised more than $7 million to influence key state legislative races this year, more than double what the candidates raised themselves. The result was a $10 million political slugfest that stuffed mailboxes with fliers, clogged telephone lines with messages and saturated air waves with commercials, many of them negative. Candidates paid workers to wave signs on street corners, while independent committees paid hundreds to walk neighborhoods delivering campaign literature door-to-door." Here's a background article about John Suthers from the Denver Post [January 3, 2005, "Heavy hitter's light touch"]. Mr. Suthers is expected to breeze into Senator-Elect Ken Salazar's empty Attorney General slot since being appointed by Governor Owens. From the article, "But Suthers uses a light touch as an administrator and has preferred consensus over controversy throughout his career, according to friends, former employees, and legal and political adversaries."

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 13:28:21 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Senator Wayne Allard sent his short list of recommendations for U.S. Attorney to the President, according to the Denver Post [December 17. 2004, "3 Republicans on Allard's short list for U.S. attorney"]. The vacancy was caused by Governor Owens' appointment of the current U.S. Attorney, John Suthers, to the unfinished term of outgoing Attorney General Ken Salazar. Those recommended are, "Troy Eid, former legal counsel to Gov. Bill Owens; Jim Peters, a career prosecutor who is the district attorney for the 18th Judicial District; and Stu VanMeveren, who has been district attorney for the 8th Judicial District for 32 years."

Wed, 15 Dec 2004 13:18:14 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Nearly 87.8% of registered voters in Colorado voted in one way or another in the November 2nd election, according to the Rocky Mountain News [December 15, 2004, "Fall vote turnout was nearly 88%"]. Denver County was at 70%. Here's the link to the Secretary of State's official results.

Fri, 10 Dec 2004 13:31:50 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election As we reported yesterday Governor Owens has appointed John Suthers to replace Senator-elect Ken Salazar as Attorney General, according to the Rocky Mountain News [December 10, 2004, "Suthers picked for AG"]. From the article, "The choice was immediately praised by the man Suthers was named to replace - Ken Salazar, who will be sworn in as a U.S. senator Jan. 4...Suthers said he never asked for or lobbied for the job, but the governor knew he was interested. Suthers now gets the job he ran for in 1998 but lost to Salazar...Suthers frequently said corporate crime was a priority for his office, and prosecutors should explore whether a crime is committed when executives make false statements to boost a stock while selling out at the same time." Here's the coverage of the Suthers announcement from the Denver Post [December 10, 2004, "U.S. attorney is Owens' nominee to replace Sen.-elect Ken Salazar"]. From the article, "Suthers, 53, is a lifelong Colorado resident and a veteran of Republican political campaigns. He was elected twice as El Paso County's district attorney, won the Republican nomination against Salazar in 1998 and co-chaired President Bush's 2000 campaign in his county...Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald, the incoming state Senate president, said people who have worked with Suthers respect his ability and consider him more practical than ideological."

Fri, 10 Dec 2004 02:29:28 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election 5280 Weblog: "Governor Bill Owens today appointed U.S. Attorney John Suthers to be Attorney General of Colorado. Suthers, who lost to Ken Salazar for Attorney General in 1998, will go from being our top federal cop to our top state cop. Why would Suthers want the job? Perhaps because he has further political ambitions. It's more common for a state Attorney General to get elected to Congress than it is a U.S. Attorney."

Wed, 08 Dec 2004 04:55:31 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election John Andrews: "What the hell happened in Colorado?" Coyote Gulch thinks that, in the U.S. Senate race anyhow, Senator-elect Salazar payed attention to keeping water in the basins of origin and opposed the administration over environmental issues. He understood that people in the West see the need to develop natural resources but to do it carefully and thoughfully with an eye to the future. Thanks to the Western Democrat for the link.

Tue, 07 Dec 2004 13:34:16 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election The Denver Post has a short article this morning about Senator-elect Ken Salazar and his successor for Attorney General [December 7, 2004, "Salazar hopes for smooth transition"]. From the article, "Democratic state Attorney General Ken Salazar offered a parting wish Monday that his departure will not provoke a partisan fight over his successor...Salazar learned Monday that he won't get a seat he wanted on the newly restructured Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He had said a seat on that panel would allow him to tap his experience as attorney general. Instead, Democratic leaders announced he will serve on Agriculture; Energy and Natural Resources; and Veterans Affairs." Here's another article on the Senator-elect from Colorado from the Rocky Mountain News [December 7, 2004, "Salazar fears 'logjam'"]. From the article, "Salazar raised some eyebrows when he became the state's attorney general in 1999, by requiring all 180 lawyers already on staff to resign, so that he could better put his own imprint on the office. Of those 180, he soon rehired all but 11." Here's the list of names of possible successors recommended by Salazar to Govenor Owens: Current deputy attorneys general, who work under Salazar: Steve Black, Renny Fagan, Karen Howard, John Krause, Garth Lucero, Beth McCann, Jan Zavislan; Former deputy attorneys general: Court of Appeals Judges John Dailey and Bob Russel; Hubert Farbes, now in private practice; Current or former state lawmakers: Dan Grossman, Ken Gordon, Jennifer Veiga, Gil Romero, Terrance Carroll, Matt Smith; Term-limited district attorneys who leave office next month: Jeanne Smith, of El Paso County; Al Dominguez, of Weld County; Bob Grant, of Adams County; Bill Ritter, of Denver County; Dave Thomas, of Jefferson County; Gus Sandstrom, of Pueblo County; Stu VanMeveren, of Larimer County; Jim Peters, of Arapahoe County; Gary Stork, of Otero County; Frank Daniels, of Mesa County; Other district attorneys: Pete Comar of Alamosa County, who won re-election in November; Miscellaneous: U.S. Attorney John Suthers, whom Salazar beat in the 1998 attorney general's race; Troy Eid, Owens' first legal counsel, now in private practice."

Mon, 06 Dec 2004 13:52:11 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Here's an in-depth look at Senator-elect Ken Salazar from the Denver Post [December 5, 2004, "Salazar reluctant to wave Hispanic banner"]. From the article, "As he becomes one of the Senate's two Hispanic members, Ken Salazar is going to be pushed into a role he is clearly uncomfortable with: a high-profile voice for Hispanics nationwide. He may push back, at first. Salazar resists being labeled Hispanic in much the same way golfer Tiger Woods dislikes others' attempts to identify him with any single racial category. Salazar's might be a smart position to take in a state that's 75 percent white and only 17 percent Hispanic. But experts agree the political reality is that Salazar will have no choice." Here's a article about Salazar, written by Luis Toro, on the 5280 Weblog.

Sat, 04 Dec 2004 14:38:55 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Senator-elect, Ken Salazar, has provided Govenor Owens with a list of names for possible successors, according to the Rocky Mountain News [December 4, 2004, "30 make list for new AG"]. From the article, "The list includes Democrats and Republicans; several outgoing district attorneys; judges and lawmakers; and some of Salazar's top deputies...Salazar is a Democrat, but Owens is a Republican and is expected to nominate a Republican for the job. The nominee still must be approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate. Salazar's list included seven people, all Democrats, who hold key jobs in the attorney general's office. They include former Cabinet secretary Renny Fagan and former Denver Manager of Public Safety Beth McCann. He also recommended two former deputy attorneys general who now are judges. Both John Dailey and Bob Russel are Republicans. Other suggestions include: Troy Eid, of Jefferson County, a Republican who served as Owens' first legal counsel and now is in private practice; U.S. Attorney John Suthers, of El Paso County. Salazar beat Suthers in 1998 to win his first attorney general's race; State Rep. Matt Smith, a Republican from Grand Junction who lost a close primary election in the 3rd Congressional District."

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 12:29:58 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Ken Salazar and Peter Coors eclipsed prior election spending, in their quest for a U.S. Senate seat, according to the Denver Post [December 3, 2004, "Coors, Salazar spent record $17.2 million in Senate race"]. From the article, "State Attorney General Salazar, who beat Coors by 5 percentage points, raised $9.8 million, and Coors, chairman of the Adolph Coors Co., raised $7.8 million. That amount included $1.45 million Coors loaned himself both before and after Election Day. He repaid $150,000 of the loans before the Nov. 2 election. Salazar spent about $9.5 million through Nov. 22, while Coors doled out $7.7 million through the same time period. The two shattered the previous record of $10.5 million spent in the 2002 U.S. Senate race between Wayne Allard and Tom Strickland. Six years earlier, the 1994 gubernatorial race between Roy Romer and Bruce Benson cost $9.6 million." Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News [December 3, 2004, "Salazar topped Coors in spending"].

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 12:33:11 GMT

Denver November 2004 Election Senator-elect, Ken Salazar, has picked two Washington insiders for his staff, according to the Rocky Mountain News [December 1, 2004, "Salazar names 2 to staff"]. From the article, "On Tuesday, Salazar named Colorado Deputy Attorney General Ken Lane to be his Senate chief of staff in Washington and campaign manager Jim Carpenter to be state director based in Denver...Lane has a long resume as a lawyer and aide to top Democrats. After leaving the Pueblo law firm of Kettelkamp & Brown, he served nine years for Campbell in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, the last five as his Senate chief of staff...Carpenter was once an aide to former U.S. Sen. Tim Wirth. In 1992, he signed up to manage Wirth's expected re-election bid, but then Wirth had a last-minute change of heart that opened the door for a surprising victory by Campbell, then a Democratic congressman."