Face The State Staff Report
As Colorado Republicans prepare for vigorous U.S. Senate and gubernatorial primaries in 2010, El Paso County Republicans have developed a crowded field of their own. Five Republicans have already announced in the race for El Paso County Commissioner District 5, currently held by the term-limited Jim Bensberg.
When former state Sen. Ed Jones first ran for county commissioner in 1994, he said the campaign cost about $13,000. Due to the crowded field, insiders say 2010’s commissioner race could cost upwards of $40,000 per candidate.
Jones served as commissioner from 1994 to 2002 and said he’s running for the position again because he feels like it is the best place to make a difference. “Politics is always local,” he said. “I think at the county and city level you’re more like a board of directors than being one of a hundred legislators.”
Republican Party State chairman Dick Wadhams said that while money is important in any race, “retail campaigning” is just as important in a local primary. “You’re dealing with a defined universe of people that will vote in a primary,” he said. “The ability to just go door-to-door and hand out literature is equally important to raising money.”
State Board of Education member for the 5th congressional district, Peggy Littleton, is also running for the seat. She said while there is speculation the race could turn expensive, she plans to keep her costs low. “It is more important for us to spend funds, in tight economic times, to get a Republican U.S. Senator and Governor elected,” she said.
At 22, former CU-Colorado Springs Student Body President and El Paso Republican Party executive committee member David Williams is the youngest candidate of the five. He's been elected a delegate to the state GOP convention but has no professional political experience.
Other candidates include Patrick Carter, a precinct leader and Republican chairman for House District 16. He launched an unsuccessful primary bid for the 5th Congressional District in 2006. Bill Gonzalo Guevara, a former mayor of Carlsbad, Cali., has also thrown his hat in the ring.
“I’m hoping things don’t get ugly at all, but I haven’t heard of anyone sitting down to negotiate anything,” said Kay Rendleman, chair of the El Paso County GOP. “I believe those in the race will run a good, fair and on the facts type of race.”
No Democrat candidates have yet announced for the seat.
Ed "Cocaine Deal" Jones, you should just give it up.....
On June 16th, 2009 Socrates says:
.....the people of El Paso County have already rejected you for being a convicted criminal, a tax-dodger, a cocaine deal watcher, a drinker during working hours and a liar. Go away. Just go away and stop your attempts to increase your state retirement pay at our expense. You're pathetic.
Socrates