True, there is a Democrat tradition in the district (especially its eastern part), but President Bush got 3% more in the district than he did statewide in both 2000 and 2004 (he got 54% in 2000 and 55% in 2004).
It’s a district we should be able to win. Salazar got in when the Republicans were terribly divided, which can be a problem in such a big district with no large population center.