United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 congressional elections in Colorado were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state
of Colorado
in the United States House of Representatives
, coinciding with the presidential
and senatorial
elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 111th Congress
from January 6, 2009 until January 3, 2011.
Colorado has seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Its 2007-2008 congressional delegation consisted of four Democrats and three Republicans. It is now five Democrats and two Republicans. District 4 changed party (from Republican to Democratic), which was the only district CQ Politics had forecasted to be at some risk for the incumbent party.
The Primary election was held August 12, 2008.
Democratic incumbent Diana DeGette
(campaign website) won against Republican nominee George Lilly (campaign website). DeGette was unopposed in her primary, and Lilly won against Charles Crain in his primary. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
Democratic nominee Jared Polis
(campaign website), a businessman, won against Republican nominee Scott Starin (campaign website), an aerospace engineer. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
This district has been represented by Democrat Mark Udall
since 1999. With the retirement of Senator Wayne Allard
, Udall ran for the Senate, leaving this an open seat. Polis won the Democratic primary against Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald
and Colorado Conservation Trust Director Will Shafroth
. Starin was unopposed in the Republican primary. Former Eagle County
Commissioner Tom Stone was earlier considered a possible Republican candidate, as was Boulder
Mayor Mark Ruzzin
for the Green Party
. Democrats hold a strong edge in this district (John Kerry won 59% here), as it is centered around heavily Democratic Boulder
.
Democratic incumbent John Salazar
(campaign website) won against Republican nominee Wayne Wolf (campaign website). CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
Democratic nominee Betsy Markey
(campaign website), businesswoman and regional director for Senator Ken Salazar
won against Republican incumbent Marilyn Musgrave
(campaign website), who had represented this district since 2003. Both ran unopposed in the party primary elections. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Leans Democratic'. The Rothenberg Political Report rated it 'Toss-Up/Tilt Democratic'. The Cook Political Report ranked it 'Republican Toss Up'.
Musgrave, a conservative known for her staunch opposition to gay marriage, won in 2006 by winning a plurality (46%) of the vote against Angie Paccione
(D) and a strong Reform Party
challenge from Eric Eidsness
, who managed to garner 11% of the vote. That, along with her 51% showing in 2004 despite George W. Bush winning 58% of the vote in this eastern Colorado district that includes the Fort Collins
area, made her vulnerable in 2008.
Democrats suffered a setback earlier when State Senator Brandon Schaffer suddenly dropped out, citing his party's failure to clear the field. Eidsness switched parties again (life-long Republican to Reform Party last year) and became a Democrat, which could have fueled a potential rematch with Musgrave in 2008. 2006 nominee Angie Paccione
briefly launched a campaign as well, but left the race in September 2007. On October 24, 2008, the National Republican Congressional Committee
abandoned Marilyn Musgrave's 2008 reelection campaign because the NRCC believes this seat is lost and there is no point on wasting scarce resources on it along with two other races they abandoned with the 4th Congressional district. This decision was based solely on Musgrave's poor poll numbers.
Musgrave launched a negative advertisement, attacking Markey over the business of Syscom Systems, the data-processing equipment company run by Markey and her husband. The Musgrave ad was called "highly misleading" by a Denver television station that investigated the facts. After her defeat, Musgrave would not comment on the election results with the media, nor would she concede the race or contact Markey to congratulate her. She also did not thank her campaign staff for their efforts. She later recorded a robocall
for Republican Georgia senator Saxby Chambliss
, saying that she was defeated by "leftist special interests" who "supressed the truth with vicious attacks and lies."
Freshman Republican incumbent Doug Lamborn
(campaign website) won against Democratic nominee Hal Bidlack
(campaign website), a Clinton administration National Security Council
official, and Independent Rich Hand (campaign website), running as a write-in candidate. The district is based in heavily Republican Colorado Springs
. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
Lamborn got bad press when two constituents accused him of making a threatening phone call in response to a critical letter they wrote. He won against Jeff Crank (campaign website), a more moderate Republican who had also run in 2006, and Bentley Rayburn (campaign website) in the Republican primary.
In 2006, Lamborn narrowly won a nasty multi-candidate primary despite previous representative Joel Hefley
's endorsement of Crank, citing Lamborn's "sleazy" campaign. Amid worries of vulnerability, Lamborn then won the general election by a 59%-41% margin, becoming the highest vote getter for a GOP Congressional candidate in the state in the 2006 cycle.
Republican nominee Mike Coffman
(campaign website) won against Democratic nominee Hank Eng (campaign website). CQ Politics, The Cook Political Report and The Rothenberg Political Report all forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican', despite some minor controversies surrounding Mike Coffman and Colorado Ethics Watch.
Eng ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary. Coffman defeated a crowded field of candidates including Ted Harvey
, Steve Ward
, and Will Armstrong (who was endorsed by the State GOP). Republican incumbent Tom Tancredo
, who held the seat since 1999, decided to retire leaving it an open seat. His seat is considered to be the most Republican-dominated district of the Denver-area seats and is also one of the wealthiest in the nation. Tancredo was the second highest vote getter for a Republican congressional candidate statewide (59%-40%) in 2006, just behind Doug Lamborn in the 5th district. The district includes Columbine High School
, which was devastated in a tragic 1999 school massacre. Democratic efforts to target him on his outspoken views on gun rights in the 2000 election came up short, and he prevailed 53% to 44%.
Democratic incumbent Ed Perlmutter
(campaign website), who has represented this district since 2007, won against Republican nominee John W. Lerew. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
In 2006, Perlmutter won 55% of the vote in this suburban Denver district that narrowly went to John Kerry with 52% in 2004. The district's voter registration is split, with independents constituting a slim plurality of 35% compared to Democrats (34%) and Republicans (31%).
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, coinciding with the presidential
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
and senatorial
United States Senate election in Colorado, 2008
The 2008 United States Senate election in Colorado was held on November 4, 2008. The primary elections were held August 12, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Wayne Allard decided to retire instead of seeking a third term...
elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 111th Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
from January 6, 2009 until January 3, 2011.
Colorado has seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Its 2007-2008 congressional delegation consisted of four Democrats and three Republicans. It is now five Democrats and two Republicans. District 4 changed party (from Republican to Democratic), which was the only district CQ Politics had forecasted to be at some risk for the incumbent party.
The Primary election was held August 12, 2008.
Overview
| United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado, 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Democratic Colorado Democratic Party The Colorado Democratic Party is the state affiliate of the United States Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Colorado. Its chair is Rick Palacio, and its executive director is Alec Garnett.The remaining officers are:... |
1,259,768 | 55.16% | 5 | +1 | |
| Republican Colorado Republican Party The Colorado Republican Party is the state affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the U.S. state of Colorado. Since March 2011, the state party chair is Denver attorney and former legal counsel to the Colorado Republican Party, Ryan Call.... |
990,870 | 43.38% | 2 | –1 | |
| Libertarian Libertarian Party of Colorado The Libertarian Party of Colorado is the state affiliate of the Libertarian Party in Colorado. The state chair is .Elected libertarians in Colorado include city councilmen Doug Anderson in Lakewood, Colorado, Joe Johnson in Frederick, Colorado, and sheriff Bill Masters in San Miguel County.... |
12,136 | 0.61% | 0 | 0 | |
| Green Green Party of Colorado The Green Party of Colorado is the state party organization for Colorado of the Green Party.The Green Party of Colorado first attempted to qualify for statewide ballot status in 1994. While the party was unsuccessful in gaining ballot access, the party did qualify for Qualified Political... |
10,031 | 0.50% | 0 | 0 | |
| American Constitution Constitution Party (United States) The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections... |
8,894 | 0.44% | 0 | 0 | |
| Unity Unity Party of America The Unity Party of America is a centrist political party founded on November 4, 2004 which has a membership in 33 states The Unity Party of America is a centrist political party founded on November 4, 2004 which has a membership in 33 states The Unity Party of America is a centrist political party... |
2,176 | 0.11% | 0 | 0 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
56 | 0.00% | 0 | 0 | |
| Valid votes | 2,283,931 | 82.60% | — | — | |
| Invalid or blank votes | 138,305 | 17.40% | — | — | |
| Totals | 2,422,236 | 100.00% | 7 | — | |
| Voter turnout | 91.67% | ||||
Match-up summary
| District | Incumbent | 2008 Status | Democratic | Republican | Other Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Colorado's 1st congressional district Colorado's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado based primarily in the City and County of Denver in the central part of the state... |
Diana DeGette Diana DeGette Diana Louise DeGette is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997, and a Chief Deputy Whip. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in Denver.-Early life, education and career:... |
Re-election | Diana DeGette Diana DeGette Diana Louise DeGette is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997, and a Chief Deputy Whip. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in Denver.-Early life, education and career:... |
George Lilly | |
| 2 Colorado's 2nd congressional district Colorado's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district is located in the north-central part of the state and encompasses the northwestern suburbs of Denver including Boulder, Northglenn, Thornton, and Westminster... |
Mark Udall Mark Udall Mark Emery Udall is the senior United States Senator from Colorado and a member of the Democratic Party. From 1999 to 2009, Udall served in the United States House of Representatives, representing . He also served a term in the Colorado House of Representatives.Born in Tucson, Arizona, he is the... |
Open | Jared Polis Jared Polis Jared Schutz Polis is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party... |
Scott Starin | |
| 3 Colorado's 3rd congressional district Colorado's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district is located in western and south central Colorado, encompassing most of the rural Western Slope... |
John Salazar John Salazar John Tony Salazar is the former Congressman for , serving from 2005 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Following his service in Congress, he was appointed as Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture in the Cabinet of Governor John Hickenlooper in 2011.-Early life,... |
Re-election | John Salazar John Salazar John Tony Salazar is the former Congressman for , serving from 2005 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Following his service in Congress, he was appointed as Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture in the Cabinet of Governor John Hickenlooper in 2011.-Early life,... |
Wayne Wolf | |
| 4 Colorado's 4th congressional district Colorado's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district encompasses most of the rural Eastern Plains as well as the larger cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Longmont along Colorado's Front... |
Marilyn Musgrave Marilyn Musgrave Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado.... |
Re-election | Betsy Markey Betsy Markey Elizabeth Helen “Betsy” Markey is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party... |
Marilyn Musgrave Marilyn Musgrave Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado.... |
|
| 5 Colorado's 5th congressional district Colorado's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district lies in the center of the state and mostly comprises Colorado Springs and its suburbs including Cimarron Hills and Fort Carson.... |
Doug Lamborn Doug Lamborn Doug Lamborn is the U.S. Representative for , in office since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Colorado Springs.-Early life, education, and early career:Lamborn was born in Leavenworth, Kansas... |
Re-election | Hal Bidlack Hal Bidlack Hal Bidlack is a retired United States Air Force officer and national security aide. He unsuccessfully ran for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 5th congressional district as the Democratic nominee in the 2008 election.... |
Doug Lamborn Doug Lamborn Doug Lamborn is the U.S. Representative for , in office since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Colorado Springs.-Early life, education, and early career:Lamborn was born in Leavenworth, Kansas... |
|
| 6 Colorado's 6th congressional district Colorado's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in central Colorado, the district encompasses much of the southern part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area, including the suburbs of Littleton, Centennial and portions of Aurora.The district... |
Tom Tancredo Tom Tancredo Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican... |
Open | Hank Eng | Mike Coffman Mike Coffman Michael "Mike" Coffman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009, and a former Secretary of State of Colorado. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and business career:... |
|
| 7 Colorado's 7th congressional district Colorado's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the central part of the state, the district encompasses much of the northern parts of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area, including the suburbs of Lakewood, Arvada, and Aurora as well as the... |
Ed Perlmutter Ed Perlmutter Edwin George "Ed" Perlmutter is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.- Early life, education and career:... |
Re-election | Ed Perlmutter Ed Perlmutter Edwin George "Ed" Perlmutter is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.- Early life, education and career:... |
John W. Lerew |
District 1
Democratic incumbent Diana DeGette
Diana DeGette
Diana Louise DeGette is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997, and a Chief Deputy Whip. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in Denver.-Early life, education and career:...
(campaign website) won against Republican nominee George Lilly (campaign website). DeGette was unopposed in her primary, and Lilly won against Charles Crain in his primary. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
District 2
Democratic nominee Jared Polis
Jared Polis
Jared Schutz Polis is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(campaign website), a businessman, won against Republican nominee Scott Starin (campaign website), an aerospace engineer. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
This district has been represented by Democrat Mark Udall
Mark Udall
Mark Emery Udall is the senior United States Senator from Colorado and a member of the Democratic Party. From 1999 to 2009, Udall served in the United States House of Representatives, representing . He also served a term in the Colorado House of Representatives.Born in Tucson, Arizona, he is the...
since 1999. With the retirement of Senator Wayne Allard
Wayne Allard
Alan Wayne Allard is a member of the Republican Party, and was a United States Senator from Colorado. He did not seek re-election in 2008.-Early life:...
, Udall ran for the Senate, leaving this an open seat. Polis won the Democratic primary against Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald
Joan Fitz-Gerald
Joan Fitz-Gerald was a Democratic member of the Colorado Senate, representing the 16th District since 2001. She served as President of the Senate, the first woman to hold that office....
and Colorado Conservation Trust Director Will Shafroth
Will Shafroth
Will Shafroth was a candidate in the Democratic primary to replace Mark Udall in Colorado's 2nd congressional district in 2008. Will is a fourth-generation Coloradan and the great-grandson of one of Colorado Governor John Shafroth, a man, ironically, known for being a foe of conservation and forest...
. Starin was unopposed in the Republican primary. Former Eagle County
Eagle County, Colorado
Eagle County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county is named for the Eagle River. The county population was 41,659 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the Town of Eagle...
Commissioner Tom Stone was earlier considered a possible Republican candidate, as was Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
Mayor Mark Ruzzin
Mark Ruzzin
Mark Ruzzin is the former mayor of Boulder, Colorado. Ruzzin was first elected to the Boulder City Council in November 2001, and re-elected in November 2003. He was appointed mayor by the city council in September 2004, and reappointed in November 2005...
for the Green Party
Green Party of Colorado
The Green Party of Colorado is the state party organization for Colorado of the Green Party.The Green Party of Colorado first attempted to qualify for statewide ballot status in 1994. While the party was unsuccessful in gaining ballot access, the party did qualify for Qualified Political...
. Democrats hold a strong edge in this district (John Kerry won 59% here), as it is centered around heavily Democratic Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
.
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
District 3
Democratic incumbent John Salazar
John Salazar
John Tony Salazar is the former Congressman for , serving from 2005 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Following his service in Congress, he was appointed as Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture in the Cabinet of Governor John Hickenlooper in 2011.-Early life,...
(campaign website) won against Republican nominee Wayne Wolf (campaign website). CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
District 4
Democratic nominee Betsy Markey
Betsy Markey
Elizabeth Helen “Betsy” Markey is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
(campaign website), businesswoman and regional director for Senator Ken Salazar
Ken Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
won against Republican incumbent Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado....
(campaign website), who had represented this district since 2003. Both ran unopposed in the party primary elections. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Leans Democratic'. The Rothenberg Political Report rated it 'Toss-Up/Tilt Democratic'. The Cook Political Report ranked it 'Republican Toss Up'.
Musgrave, a conservative known for her staunch opposition to gay marriage, won in 2006 by winning a plurality (46%) of the vote against Angie Paccione
Angie Paccione
Angela Veronica "Angie" Paccione is a former Colorado legislator and was a 2006 Congressional candidate.A college basketball player at Stanford and professional basketball player in the 1980s, Paccione became a high school coach, teacher and administrator before earning a Ph.D...
(D) and a strong Reform Party
Reform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
challenge from Eric Eidsness
Eric Eidsness
'— Incumbent Marilyn Musgrave , a Republican who was the chief sponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment won a surprisingly close 45.6% to 43.1% reelection in 2006 despite the Republican-leaning nature of her eastern Colorado district...
, who managed to garner 11% of the vote. That, along with her 51% showing in 2004 despite George W. Bush winning 58% of the vote in this eastern Colorado district that includes the Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
area, made her vulnerable in 2008.
Democrats suffered a setback earlier when State Senator Brandon Schaffer suddenly dropped out, citing his party's failure to clear the field. Eidsness switched parties again (life-long Republican to Reform Party last year) and became a Democrat, which could have fueled a potential rematch with Musgrave in 2008. 2006 nominee Angie Paccione
Angie Paccione
Angela Veronica "Angie" Paccione is a former Colorado legislator and was a 2006 Congressional candidate.A college basketball player at Stanford and professional basketball player in the 1980s, Paccione became a high school coach, teacher and administrator before earning a Ph.D...
briefly launched a campaign as well, but left the race in September 2007. On October 24, 2008, the National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
abandoned Marilyn Musgrave's 2008 reelection campaign because the NRCC believes this seat is lost and there is no point on wasting scarce resources on it along with two other races they abandoned with the 4th Congressional district. This decision was based solely on Musgrave's poor poll numbers.
Musgrave launched a negative advertisement, attacking Markey over the business of Syscom Systems, the data-processing equipment company run by Markey and her husband. The Musgrave ad was called "highly misleading" by a Denver television station that investigated the facts. After her defeat, Musgrave would not comment on the election results with the media, nor would she concede the race or contact Markey to congratulate her. She also did not thank her campaign staff for their efforts. She later recorded a robocall
Robocall
Robocall is a term for an automated phone call that uses both a computerized autodialer and a computer-delivered pre-recorded message. The implication is that a "robocall" resembles a telephone call from a robot...
for Republican Georgia senator Saxby Chambliss
Saxby Chambliss
Clarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
, saying that she was defeated by "leftist special interests" who "supressed the truth with vicious attacks and lies."
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- Musgrave (R-i) vs Markey (D) graph of collected poll results from Pollster.com
District 5
Freshman Republican incumbent Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn is the U.S. Representative for , in office since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Colorado Springs.-Early life, education, and early career:Lamborn was born in Leavenworth, Kansas...
(campaign website) won against Democratic nominee Hal Bidlack
Hal Bidlack
Hal Bidlack is a retired United States Air Force officer and national security aide. He unsuccessfully ran for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 5th congressional district as the Democratic nominee in the 2008 election....
(campaign website), a Clinton administration National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
official, and Independent Rich Hand (campaign website), running as a write-in candidate. The district is based in heavily Republican Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
Lamborn got bad press when two constituents accused him of making a threatening phone call in response to a critical letter they wrote. He won against Jeff Crank (campaign website), a more moderate Republican who had also run in 2006, and Bentley Rayburn (campaign website) in the Republican primary.
In 2006, Lamborn narrowly won a nasty multi-candidate primary despite previous representative Joel Hefley
Joel Hefley
Joel M. Hefley is a U.S Republican politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing the 5th Congressional District of Colorado from 1987 to 2007. His wife, Dr. Lynn Hefley, is, like he, a former member of the Colorado State House of Representatives...
's endorsement of Crank, citing Lamborn's "sleazy" campaign. Amid worries of vulnerability, Lamborn then won the general election by a 59%-41% margin, becoming the highest vote getter for a GOP Congressional candidate in the state in the 2006 cycle.
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
District 6
Republican nominee Mike Coffman
Mike Coffman
Michael "Mike" Coffman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009, and a former Secretary of State of Colorado. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and business career:...
(campaign website) won against Democratic nominee Hank Eng (campaign website). CQ Politics, The Cook Political Report and The Rothenberg Political Report all forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican', despite some minor controversies surrounding Mike Coffman and Colorado Ethics Watch.
Eng ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary. Coffman defeated a crowded field of candidates including Ted Harvey
Ted Harvey
Ted Harvey is a Republican member of the Colorado Senate, representing the 30th District since 2007. His district is located in Douglas County. Previously he was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 2001 through 2006...
, Steve Ward
Steve Ward (Colorado legislator)
Steven P. Ward was a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Appointed to the Colorado State Senate as a Republican in 2006, Ward represented Senate District 26, which encompassed southern suburbs of Denver, Colorado, centered around Littleton....
, and Will Armstrong (who was endorsed by the State GOP). Republican incumbent Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...
, who held the seat since 1999, decided to retire leaving it an open seat. His seat is considered to be the most Republican-dominated district of the Denver-area seats and is also one of the wealthiest in the nation. Tancredo was the second highest vote getter for a Republican congressional candidate statewide (59%-40%) in 2006, just behind Doug Lamborn in the 5th district. The district includes Columbine High School
Columbine High School
Columbine High School or CHS is a high school in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado, United States.- History :Columbine High School opened in the fall of 1973. There was no senior class in its first year. The school's first graduating class was the class of 1975...
, which was devastated in a tragic 1999 school massacre. Democratic efforts to target him on his outspoken views on gun rights in the 2000 election came up short, and he prevailed 53% to 44%.
- Cherry Creek News: Where's Hank from Cherry Creek News
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
District 7
Democratic incumbent Ed Perlmutter
Ed Perlmutter
Edwin George "Ed" Perlmutter is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.- Early life, education and career:...
(campaign website), who has represented this district since 2007, won against Republican nominee John W. Lerew. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
In 2006, Perlmutter won 55% of the vote in this suburban Denver district that narrowly went to John Kerry with 52% in 2004. The district's voter registration is split, with independents constituting a slim plurality of 35% compared to Democrats (34%) and Republicans (31%).
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
External links
- Elections Center from the Colorado Secretary of State
- U.S. Congress candidates for Colorado at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Colorado U.S. House Races from 2008 Race Tracker
- Campaign contributions for Colorado congressional races from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...