July 19, 2012 07:02 PM UTC

National Journal: CD-6 "A Critical Test"

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• by: Colorado Pols

Little to disagree with in this summary of the increasingly hot race for CD-6 from our friends at National Journal, who now rank CD-6 #1 in their top five “bellwether House races.”

A former secretary of state with a military background, Rep. Mike Coffman looked like a rising Republican star when he came to Washington, not to mention a likely future candidate for the Senate or governor. But in the redistricting process, Coffman found his solidly Republican district redrawn into a suburban Denver battleground-and then proceeded to act as if his political fortunes hadn’t changed one bit.

One of the first bills he introduced in Congress ended requirements for ballots to be printed in languages other than English, a reasonable proposal for a conservative legislator, but one out of sync with a district that’s 16 percent Hispanic-more than double the percentage of his old district. Adding insult to injury, he drew national scrutiny when he told a town-hall meeting in May that he believes “in his heart” that President Obama is not an American.

Those political gaffes created an opening for Democratic state Rep. Joe Miklosi, who wasn’t the party’s top choice for the seat but who has put together a credible campaign. He has touted his working-class background and a populist-sounding campaign theme that closely echoes Obama’s message. The district is one of the wealthiest in the country, and it will provide a critical test of whether the Democratic messaging can resonate where many voters are part of the top “1 percent.”