Face The State Staff Report
Amid all the gossip and speculation about which Republican is best suited to challenge Gov. Bill Ritter in 2010, another important race has all but fallen by the wayside. Little to no mention has been made of potential Republican challengers to take on U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar that year.
Salazar, at right, with Gov. Bill RitterFTS File Photo
Some political insiders attribute the lack of attention to the belief that running against Salazar is a suicide mission. They say the reason there are so many eager candidates for governor, but not senator, is because Ritter, a Democrat, is by far an easier target. Salazar, meanwhile, has positioned himself as a moderate and appears widely popular as a result. It is not unusual for his press office to send out several press releases a day and his every move is well covered by the mainstream media and small town papers.
"Even before the Democrat resurgence in Colorado, Ken Salazar struck me as the one Colorado Democrat who had this ability to go find votes in small towns and rural Colorado," said political analyst Eric Sondermann. "That’s how he got elected. He has the ability to connect with rural and small town Colorado."
In 2004, Salazar replaced retiring Republican Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, narrowly defeating beer magnate Pete Coors, 51 to 47 percent.
Coors faced Salazar only after winning out in a fierce primary that year against former Congressman Bob Schaffer. A deciding factor in that contest, according to strategists, was the view that Coors's policy positions more closely mirrored the moderate views of Campbell, who had previously served as a Democrat.
But could Schaffer have beaten Salazar? While Coors had solid name identification with voters, he appeared nervous and unprepared on important policy issues during debates. Schaffer, while widely perceived as a conservative, had a congressional record that included bi-partisan work with Democrats on school reform. He ultimately couldn't overcome mounds of Coors cash.
"At the time it was thought by the Republican powers that be, including the then-Governor [Bill Owens], Schaffer was too much of a polarizing candidate," Sondermann said. "At the end of the day in 2004, a lot of Republicans around the country who looked like Bob Schaffer were winning. The only two Democrats to win open seats that year were Salazar and Obama. All that said, color me doubtful. I still think Salazar had the upper hand in that race."
But Schaffer got a second bite at the apple - this time, it was a much larger apple. In 2008, he challenged Mark Udall, a slick, sophisticated congressman who slid into office on the coattails on the wildly popular President-elect Barack Obama. While Schaffer's campaign manager and GOP state party chairman Dick Wadhams coined the phrase "Boulder Liberal Mark Udall," Schaffer couldn't escape the view that he was too closely alligned with the views of the ailing Bush White House.
Wadhams isn't taking anything for granted heading into 2010. Just two days after this November's election, he says Salazar began sending out fundraising emails. This morning, The Denver Post reported Salazar is hosting a $1,000-per-plate party at the Denver Performing Arts Complex on Friday. He also already has $1.83 million on hand. “There is no doubt that as an incumbent he will be well funded,” Wadhams said, “but a good challenger will be able to raise the funds necessary.
Wadhams remains optimist that Republicans can pick off Salazar in 2010 and he believes it will be a better election cycle for Republicans overall. “The Democrats own the joint, and they won’t be able to blame everything on George Bush,” he said.
Wadhams was hesitant to speculate about possible contenders for the seat, but he said the right candidate would need to be aggressive and articulate. “I think this race will be very competitive,” he said.
According to former Congressman Bob Beauprez, the GOP's nominee for governor in 2006, the key to defeating Salazar is to dispel the myth that he is a moderate. “Those of us who grew up around real farms and ranches know if you straddle a fence you are going to slip and get hurt,” said Beauprez, adding that Salazar is a 17th Street lawyer, not the cowboy he tries to be.
Beauprez specifically cited Salazar’s opposition to energy development as a major weakness. In July, Salazar authored a column in the Washington Post bashing the development of oil shale in the West. In August, he adamantly opposed drilling for oil on the Roan Plateau, and he successfully spearheaded the effort to delay leasing on the Roan in when gas prices were peaking at $4 per gallon. Then, after calling offshore drilling a “phantom solution” to the energy crisis, Salazar was one of many Democrats who changed his tune once the idea proved politically popular. Less than a month later, he joined a bi-partisan Senate coalition pushing for offshore drilling.
But Beauprez was also quick to note that Salazar might not even be in the Senate much longer.
Democrats and Republicans alike have speculated that Salazar is on the short list for President-elect Barack Obama’s interior secretary. While Salazar told the Rocky Mountain News he has no designs on the position, he stopped short of saying he would turn down the job. If Salazar were appointed to serve in Obama’s cabinet, Ritter would be charged with appointing his replacement. The replacement would then be obligated to stand as the Democrat’s candidate for the seat in 2010. For his part, Beauprez said he is paying attention to the Senate race, but is waiting to see what the playing field looks like in 2010. Beauprez’s name has also been floated as a potential candidate for governor despite his unsuccessful 2006 bid.
Among the dozens of names floated for governor, some have also been suggested for the senate seat, such as former Congressman Scott McInnis and retiring Congressman Tom Tancredo. There have been rumblings of a Bill Owens comeback, and Attorney General John Suthers has been talked about since he has already won a statewide office. Bentley Rayburn, who lost his primary bid for the 5th Congressional District against Rep. Doug Lamborn, has also seen his name surface.