2010 Political Campaigns

From Staff Reports
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, the frontrunner in this year’s contest for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, attracted a barrage of local and national attention this week — and most of it not very complimentary. The mounting criticism stemmed from remarks made by Norton at a Colorado Springs event Tuesday night — hosted, in part, by several local Tea Party chapters. Norton was asked to identify which programs she deemed unconstitutional and should not be funded by the federal government.

By Leslie Jorgensen
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

COLORADO SPRINGS – Nearly 1,200 folks flocked to the Colorado Springs 2010 Candidate Search on Tuesday night to assess Republican contenders running for the U.S. Senate, Governor and state Treasurer. If the turnout is any indication, event organizers predict GOP caucuses will be swamped with new converts.

By Leslie Jorgensen
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

COLORADO SPRINGS – The U.S. Senate races will be the main motivators driving El Paso County Democrats and Republicans to caucuses on Tuesday, March 16, to elect delegates to higher party assemblies based on their candidate preferences. Republicans are equally passionate about backing candidates to recapture the Democratic-held seats in Senate District 11 and House Districts 17 and 18, and keeping elected offices in the county.

By Ernest Luning
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Attending a precinct caucus this year?

Show up early, bring a calculator — oh, and get a haircut.

By Marianne Goodland
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Colorado’s success in renewable energy is now pushing the General Assembly to once again ramp up the standards for utilities to generate even more of their electricity from those sources.

By Jody Hope Strogoff
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper looked in the audience in the direction of his wife, Helen Thorpe, and acknowledged to supporters at his campaign headquarters last weekend that the two of them weren’t completely enthusiastic when they decided to go on this adventure to run for governor. “But I think there is an opportunity here that is compelling and for a lot of different reasons,” Hickenlooper told the large crowd assembled in the foyer of the building at 789 Sherman St., former site of the Denver Democratic Party offices.

By Jody Hope Strogoff
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Dan Maes, a Republican candidate for governor, seemed realistic about his underdog status as he addressed supporters at his new headquarters at the northwest corner of Hampden and Broadway in old Englewood. “We’re not about being big, and we’re not about millions of dollars, we’re about you in this room, the people of Colorado. And we have a great team we’ve put together and I’m going to introduce you to them tonight,” Maes said at the Feb. 23 event.

By Anthony Bowe
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Three candidates vying for the Republican nomination for state treasurer bucked heads Monday during a debate in front of a small group of business owners in Centennial.

By Ernest Luning
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

There probably won’t be as many voters attending precinct caucuses next month as there were two years ago — when 120,000 Democrats and 70,000 Republicans swamped neighborhood schools, church basements and living rooms statewide — but party officials are nonetheless girding for a good turnout the night of March 16 when grassroots activists gather to begin the nominating process for the November ballot.

By Leslie Jorgensen
THE COLORADO STATESMAN

Four Republican candidates are rivaling for the party’s nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, a “blue dog Democrat” who captured the 4th Congressional District seat in 2008. The GOP is gunning to recapture the seat that it had held since 1973.