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Salazar will run for Senate [Colorado]
Denver Post ^ | 3/11/04 | Karen E. Crummy

Posted on 03/10/2004 1:22:41 PM PST by BlackRazor

Salazar will run for Senate By Karen E. Crummy Denver Post Staff Writer

Thursday, March 11, 2004 -

Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar will announce his candidacy for U.S. Senate today, The Denver Post has learned.

Salazar will declare his intention to run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell at a 3 p.m. news conference today, according to his campaign organizer, Mike Stratton.

Salazar will be endorsed by fellow Democrat Rutt Bridges, who earlier declared himself a candidate for the Senate but is expected to drop out of the race, Stratton said.

Former Gov. Roy Romer and former Lt. Gov. Gail Schoettler, along with current Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and former Mayor Wellington Webb, also are expected to endorse Salazar.

The announcement would alter the race for the Senate seat that Campbell said last week he would vacate at the end of his term.

U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, of Eldorado Springs, said Tuesday that he also would seek the Democratic nomination.

"I'm in," Udall said. "It became clear to me today that I'm keen to go to the Senate and represent Colorado families and Colorado values."

Udall's decision followed Tuesday's announcement by Gov. Bill Owens that he would not seek the Republican nomination for Senate. That opened up the field to a number of other potential candidates, including several from the state's House delegation.

Under state law, Salazar does not have to relinquish his position as attorney general while campaigning. But with two years of Salazar's term left, Owens could appoint a Republican to his seat if he wins.

Already in the race are lesser-known Democrats Liz Baker and Larry Johnson of Boulder, Mike Miles of Colorado Springs and Brad Freedberg of Denver.

Republican Dan O'Bryant of Colorado Springs is already running, and Daniel James Barnett of Denver has filed to run as a Christian Party candidate.

Along with Owens, fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave passed on a run, while former Colorado congressman Bob Schaffer said he intends to seek the Senate seat. Republican U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis, who is leaving the House, said he is still considering a run, while Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo also said he will announce a decision.

Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette said she will not run for the Senate, citing the needs of her young family.

Owens, considered the state's highest-profile Republican, cited family matters and the needs of the state in announcing his intention not to run Tuesday.

"As I looked at what I actually have to do as governor, to add that burden on top of it would have been a race that I simply wouldn't have enjoyed," he said.

Owens also said he had encouraged Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez to run for the seat. The freshman congressman from Arvada, who won the new 7th Congressional District seat by 121 votes in 2002, said he was still deciding whether to enter the race.

The open seat will boost Colorado's political profile this year, attracting money and attention as Republicans seek to hold their 51-48 voting edge - with one Independent - and Democrats seek to regain the chamber.

"I think this will be a real horse race," said pollster Paul Talmey. "You're going to see a ton of money flowing into this state. This race could change the majority in the Senate."

Owens' blessing has suddenly vaulted Beauprez to a key position for money and name recognition.

However, Don Bain, who was Republican Party chairman from 1993 through 1997, said President Bush and his advisers will probably have more to say than the governor. "The behind-the-scenes player is likely to be the White House," he said. "They want a candidate who would preserve the majority. That is what it is about."

Bain said Beauprez, who is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser with Vice President Dick Cheney later this month, would be a strong candidate, but he worries that the first-term congressman's open seat would be tough to win without an incumbent.

"The big downside is it opens up that 7th District and puts it at great risk," he said.

That's why the National Republican Congressional Committee does not appear to want Beauprez - who raised more than $1 million for his re-election campaign - to leave the House after only one term.

"We would love Congressman Beauprez to stay in the House. We would hate to lose him," said Chris Paulitz, spokesman for the committee.

Paulitz also said that if the House seat should open up, the GOP "plans on keeping it in Republican hands."


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: 2004; colorado; danobryant; electionushouse; electionussenate; kensalazar; salazar; senate
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To: BlackRazor
I agree. I think McInnis is the strongest choice. Have Coffman keep the Governor's chair whilst Owens runs for Prez.
21 posted on 03/10/2004 2:29:29 PM PST by TheBigB (Going partly violently to the thing 24/7!)
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To: William Creel
Udall is pulling out according to Denver media.
22 posted on 03/10/2004 2:45:42 PM PST by Columbine (Bush '04 - Owens '08)
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To: BlackRazor
Between McInnis and Coffman, I prefer Coffman. Policy-wise I don't see much difference between the two but Coffman is younger and has more charisma. Coffman also has a nice biography including service in the '91 Gulf War.

From a practical standpoint, it would be better for Coffman to run and Owens would appoint his replacement while Beauprez can stay put in the 7th CD where he would be the prohibitive favorite to win again.

I'll have to check-out this Udall backing out story... could be the shortest candidacy in history : ).
23 posted on 03/10/2004 3:03:40 PM PST by BoomerBob
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To: BlackRazor
Yep, Udall is out (sort of makes him look foolish for jumping in too soon). IMO, given the competitiveness of the race, Beuaprez definitely should NOT run. Although a good candidate, if he should lose we would not only lose a senate seat but potentially his house seat as well.

Tancredo cannot win against Salazar so it has to be McInnis or Coffman.
24 posted on 03/10/2004 3:13:47 PM PST by BoomerBob
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To: BoomerBob; Columbine; BlackRazor; JohnnyZ; Coop; William Creel; KQQL
Yup, Udall dropped out and endorsed Salazar. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2912274/detail.html

Salazar is probably the best candidate the RATs could have thrown at us, and his election would be used by the media as an example of how the Democrats are so much more "inclusive" than the GOP because the only Hispanic Senator is a Democrat (even if black Republican Herman Cain gets elected to the Senate from GA). So it is doubly important that we get a quality candidate to enter the race.

Scott McInnis, are you listening?
25 posted on 03/10/2004 4:01:34 PM PST by AuH2ORepublican (Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.)
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Comment #26 Removed by Moderator

To: AuH2ORepublican
Yep, I agree with your reasoning here.

McInnis is the right one and we'd better all be prepared to dig deep into our pockets and work hard on his campaign.
27 posted on 03/10/2004 4:07:50 PM PST by Columbine (Bush '04 - Owens '08)
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To: AuH2ORepublican; Torie; ambrose
with Salazar this race goes to the toss up column..too bad Udall was kicked out by the RATS....

At this point only McInnis or Shaffer can defeat Salazar..

TOm T will lose to Salazar/
28 posted on 03/10/2004 5:27:42 PM PST by KQQL (@)
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To: AuH2ORepublican
What about Gale Norton coming back from Washington to run?
29 posted on 03/10/2004 6:34:55 PM PST by churchillbuff (?)
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To: churchillbuff
Gale doesn't have the same pizazz as some of the other candidates and she is more of a moderate republican (she's pro-choice). Our best bets are definitely with McInnis, Beauprez or Coffman.
30 posted on 03/10/2004 8:47:00 PM PST by BoomerBob
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Comment #31 Removed by Moderator

To: BoomerBob
she lost to ALLARD way back when..

-----

AG election results for the 1998 AG race


John Suthers Republican
Ken Salazar Democrat
Wayne White Libertarian

TOTALS 601,774 634,159 33,470
http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/main.htm

----
I know Salazar is Pro-Choice,
he will be probably be for tax increase for people making over $200,000 ,
against gay-marriage Amendment,
Pr0-Liberal Judges ,
I wonder what's his rating with NRA are.
32 posted on 03/10/2004 10:44:19 PM PST by KQQL (@)
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