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Denver’s Michael Fallon Embraces Tough Task of Retiring Diana DeGette

Last week I was privileged with the opportunity to sit down and meet Dr. Michael Fallon, the Republican candidate for Colorado's 1st Congressional District. For those in the know, that phrase typically evokes shrugs of apathy. A Republican in the 1st CD? That covers the heart of Denver. The city has been represented by the tag team of Lefty Democratic icons Pat Schroeder and Diana DeGette for a combined 37 years. Republicans has held the office for a total of one two-year term since 1946. According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, only 49 of 435 Congressional Districts are considered more heavily Democratic. But don't think for a moment that deters the 45-year-old Fallon. "Diana DeGette is out of touch with the district," the … [Read more...]

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Bernie Buescher Doesn’t Get His Way: Time to Make Military Votes a Priority

Update, 8/28: I have uploaded a copy of the official DoD letter denying Buescher's waiver request. A few weeks ago, Bill Ritter-appointed Secretary of State Bernie Buescher brought his own campaign into the news limelight by requesting a waiver from the law requiring ballots be sent out to military personnel no later than 45 days before the general election. By doing so, Buescher opened the door to accusations that he was trying "to shaft military voters." Last week Brad Jones from Face The State reported on Buescher's national television appearance on Fox News where he sought to justify the waivers, noting:...it’s hard to understand why Buescher is allowing himself to become the national poster boy for military voting snafus when … [Read more...]

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J.J. Ament Concedes, Walker Stapleton to Face Cary Kennedy for Treasurer

On his Facebook page, just a few minutes ago J.J. Ament published a concession to Walker Stapleton in Colorado's Republican state treasurer primary:... would like to thank the countless volunteers across the state who made this a competitive race and I wish Walker all the best in defeating Cary Kennedy in November. At this hour the Denver Post reports with 77 percent reporting that Walker Stapleton has a 50.7-49.2 lead over Ament. Not to toot my own horn, but I did predict that Stapleton would beat Ament 51-49. Hey, I had to nail one race right on, didn't I? … [Read more...]

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Chinook Fund-Columbus Day Protest Link Raises Demand for Transparency in Hickenlooper’s Charitable Giving

Complete Colorado broke a story late last night that adds another twist to the governor's race -- specifically tying Democratic candidate John Hickenlooper and the Chinook Fund he founded to timely financial support of the "Transform Columbus Day Alliance" and its 2007 Denver protests that led to 83 arrests. Featuring a somewhat disturbing original picture, Complete Colorado notes:The 2007 Columbus Day Parade protests included bloodied fake babies in the streets. Writing on the Denver Post's political blog, Chuck Plunkett probes the issue more deeply:The Complete Colorado report helps provide a snapshot of how donating to “Transform Columbus Day Alliance” type groups causes these kinds of spectacle leads to real-life trouble for city … [Read more...]

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Ryan Frazier Celebrates Primary Victory, Ready to Work to Oust Ed Perlmutter

Update: Video and photos added below the fold. ARVADA -- Victory was in the air before the party for Republican Colorado 7th Congressional candidate Ryan Frazier could really get underway. He even beat my conservative expectations. With 65 percent of precincts reporting, Frazier has a 65-35 lead and a declared victory over honorable second place contender Lang Sias. I am working to upload the video of Frazier's victory speech, but for now here are some transcribed quotes to whet your appetite. (You also can see the official statement on the Frazier website.) … [Read more...]

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Colorado State Senate Majority Looks to Hang on a Tight, Razor-Thin Margin

Nearing the middle of September, it's about seven weeks until Election Day. And in many counties ballots will start going out weeks before November 2. One oft-overlooked piece of the electoral puzzle comes down to which party will have control of Colorado's state legislature for the next two years -- a critical piece of setting state policy and the next round of Congressional re-districting. Today is Mount Virtus' final big picture look at the 2010 state senate races before Election Day. First, a little overview. The Colorado State Senate has 35 seats, with senators serving up to two four-year terms. Democrats currently hold a 21-14 majority. Roughly half of the 35 districts are up for election in any given cycle. In 2010, Colorado … [Read more...]

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Survey: What Should Scott McInnis Do?

Update: Upon further deliberation, I've decided to leave the survey open a little longer. Today's Denver Post editorial calls for Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis to drop out of the race due to "revelations of extensive plagiarism in work [he] claimed as his own." While the Post has a quick Yes or No poll on its site to determine whether you agree with their editorial stance, I'm interested in a little more information. This morning I created a quick, 6-question, multiple choice survey to see what politically active and knowledgeable readers think should be done, and how it affects the state of the race. Click here to take the survey I will leave the survey open through tomorrow, Thursday, July 16, at 6 PM Mountain … [Read more...]

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Colorado Primary Predictions: My Complete, Final (and Wrong?) Guesses

We are on the eve of Colorado's 2010 primary elections. A couple weeks ago I posted my preferences and prognostications. While my ballot choices haven't changed (I filled them out in ink, after all), but I'd like to issue my complete, revised and final predictions. And yes, I see a lot of close races: U.S. Senate Democratic: Michael Bennet 51, Andrew Romanoff 49 U.S. Senate GOP: Ken Buck 50+, Jane Norton 49+ Governor GOP: Scott McInnis 51, Dan Maes 49 Congressional District 3 GOP: Scott Tipton 59, Bob McConnell 41 Congressional District 7 GOP: Ryan Frazier 58, Lang Sias 42 State Treasurer GOP: Walker Stapleton 51, J.J. Ament 49 State Senate District 6 GOP: Dean Boehler 53, Ellen Roberts 47 State Senate District 20 Democratic: Dave … [Read more...]