Face the State Staff Report
Denver attorney Scott Gessler is ramping up his campaign to challenge Secretary of State Bernie Buescher in 2010.
GesslerFTS File Photo
Gessler, a Republican who has become one of Colorado's most sought out election attorneys in recent years, is familiar with the many functions of the Secretary of State's office. During the 2008 election season, he represented multiple initiative campaigns challenged during the petition process. In addition, he was one of a handful of election experts selected last year to serve on the state's Election Reform Commission.
"The one thing about my background is that it shows that I am willing to take a stand for what is right and I am willing to stand up and focus on what is right for the voter rather than a variety of special interest groups," said Gessler. "There is a very partisan guy who is in office right now who was nakedly a partisan Democrat, and he was appointed by Ritter because he is a partisan Democrat."
Buescher was selected by Gov. Bill Ritter to serve in the post after it was vacated by previous office holder Mike Coffman, who was elected to Congress. Ritter's choice sparked controversy among Democrats after Ritter declined to appoint other notable party members who had expressed interest, including state Rep. Andrew Romanoff and state Sen. Ken Gordon. Buescher was seen as a questionable choice because he was fresh off an unsuccessful re-election bid to the state House in November.
Gessler filed to run in early January, before Buescher was sworn in. Politicos have eagerly awaited news about whether Gessler will face a primary, with Arapahoe County Clerk Nancy Doty indicating a strong interest at recent GOP events.
"I'm looking at it and exploring the possibility of running," Doty told Face the State. "I think it's still a little early to announce. I'm just going to wait a bit before I make up my mind. I will know for sure by early fall."
But if recent events are any indication, party activists heavily favor Gessler, who is seen as a tough litigator but also, when necessary, an impartial academic, having benefited from a Yale undergraduate degree, an MBA from Northwestern, and a law degree from the University of Michigan.
At Douglas County's recent Lincoln Day dinner, attendees favored Gessler 95-32 over Doty in an informal straw poll.
Gessler was cautiously optimistic about the results.
"The straw poll suggests that Nancy's base of support is limited to Arapahoe County," said Gessler. "Douglas County is right in her backyard and yet she lost three-to-one. It's a good indication for me, but it's just a small one."
Doty told Face the State she was not at the Lincoln Day Dinner and was not even aware about the results.
"I haven't even heard about it," said Doty. "I wasn't at the dinner, but I know Scott was there."
Gessler acknowledged that his presence at the dinner may have given him a small advantage, but he was not a speaker and only briefly recognized as an official candidate for the position. Also, Noty's home base of Arapahoe County has traditionally been one of the GOP's strongest base of primary voters, a fact Gessler says he is not taking for granted.
Former state Rep. Rob Witwer, a Republican, knows Gessler well and thinks he is the best candidate for the position.
"A big part of the Secretary of State's job is to implement very detailed rules," said Witwer. "Scott knows election law inside and out, and that's the bottom line."
Gessler emphasized his view that a key responsibility of the office is to set clear rules for elections in advance, in order to avoid vote manipulation through recounts. As a small business owner, he says he also recognizes the importance of simplifying business filings.
"Over the last nine years, I've seen how the Secretary of State's office works and what the Secretary does from a lot of different angles," Gessler told Face the State. "I've mostly been on the outside looking in, and I've had a lot of time to see what they do well and, in certain instances, what hasn't been done well."
Currently, Gessler is the only person, Republican or Democrat, who has filed to challenge Buescher in 2010.
Full Disclosure: Gessler has represented Face the State in litigation against state officials, including Gov. Bill Ritter.