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December 06, 2011 09:33 PM UTC

Romanoff Won't Run for Congress in CD-6

  • 61 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

The Denver newspaper is reporting that Democrat Andrew Romanoff has decided not to run for Congress in the newly-redistricted CD-6.

We discussed yesterday that Romanoff didn’t have too long to decide about whether or not he would challenge Joe Miklosi for the Democratic nomination and the right to challenge incumbent Rep. Mike Coffman. Romanoff’s entry into the race may have forced Miklosi to the sidelines rather than face a primary against the much better-known former House Speaker, but the longer he waited to make a decision on running, the more he risked further alienating Democrats who were not pleased with his challenge to Sen. Michael Bennet in 2010. Romanoff’s consideration of the race certainly didn’t help Miklosi’s ongoing fundraising efforts, and had he waited until, say, mid-January to make a decision and still opted against running, he would have severely hampered Miklosi’s bid to take out Coffman.

While there may be a few more names floated on the Democratic side for CD-6, we would expect that Miklosi will go unchallenged for the nomination at this point.

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61 thoughts on “Romanoff Won’t Run for Congress in CD-6”

    1. Well, I don’t think DeGette is really in need of mine, so….

      And, in spite of “Old Aurora” cited below, I think Coffman is beatable. His seat was so safe I don’t think he’s been scrutinized as well as he will be in this race. Miklosi will need a lot of help, though. Fortunately he’s started by lining up the better part of the state’s Dem elected power base. If the race gets close, I think the DCCC and some PACs will step in to back them up. This is going to be a fun race to watch (and analyze afterward) and an exciting high-pressure adventure for you guys in CD-6. Go get ’em, tigers.

      1. … another case of the GOP projecting.

        In every major race going back three or four election cycles, the Colorado GOP pushed out, or tried to push out, challengers to annointed candidates, usually with the obvious promise that said candidate could take on the next important race. They pushed aside Shaffer for Coors, but then Shaffer was the guy next time around, to name one example.

        If something is rotten about the Republicans, they just HAVE to try to make it true about Dems as well. It’s pathetic.

  3. Coffman will still be a strong incumbent and will receive tons of funding as the GOP will be very highly motivated to keep this seat. Dems are notoriously unkind to losers and losing a 2010 primary and a 2012 congressional election would pretty much put paid to any future Romanoff career in politics.  Let Miklosi lose this one and Andrew lives to fight another day with plenty of time to prepare for 2014 if he so desires.  

      1. Consider it an early Christmas present. Only a member of the GOP Borg would consider any concession to the recognition of objective reality a gift but….

        1. and with such ad nauseum repetition…

          but you are SEVERELY underestimating what it means to have this an Aurora-centric district. COFFMAN ISN’T AN INCUMBENT in the new district. He’s got hundreds of thousands of brand new constituents that he is going to have to introduce himself to (at the same time the DCCC is introducing him).

          Further, his Tancredo-esque politics and his hardcore right wing attacks on Social Security & Medicare can’t be covered up by a military uniform. In a pocketbook-driven election, military service takes a back seat to economic anxiety filtered through one’s partisan filter. Good example of this: Joe Rice running for re-election in Littleton.    

          Aurora is just not going to bond with this guy.

          1. Coffman has been running in and lived in Aurora for most of his life.  He went to Aurora Central High School with me in the 1970’s.  He knows the people.  I hate to tell you, but this is going to be a cake-walk for Coffman, he’s “Old Aurora” and that means a lot in this swing area.  In a few years, the district might be more of a target for Dems when Coffman is gone, but right now, I think Coffman can hold this one quite easily, sort of like Perlmutter does with his base in the swing parts of Jeffco.

            1. It’s also why I was conflicted for a short time when I heard Karen Middleton might be jumping in. I love Joe and have mountains of respect for him, but I feel the same way about Karen and she had a vibrant following in Aurora. We really need Morgan Carroll, Rhonda Fields, Su Ryden, Nancy Todd, Suzanne Williams, Molly Markert and Deb Holen (not to mention the Dems who recenlty lost their races in Aurora) to motivate every Dem activist they know to energize Aurora. It’s a little scary knowing what has to be done, but the alternative is unacceptable — Mike Coffman has NEVER represented 3/5 of his constituency. We must do this for DEMOCRACY.

            2. First, I don’t think it’ll be “easy.”  I think Miklosi will draw lots of financial support and a lot of boots on the ground given the area.  I do think Coffman holds on, but barely, absent some sort of October Surprise.

              Second, I’m interested to see how Coffman holds up to the intense scrutiny he’s likely to receive now – before this, he’s been essentially invisible, which was probably a positive given some of his statements.

              Aurora has two large populations that are likely to vote Democratic no matter who runs – the working poor and the Hispanic population.  I think Coffman’s ability to retain the seat will be driven by how well he can minimize the damage from those two groups.  

              Your point about him being from “Old Aurora” is well taken, though.

              1. CD6 isn’t just Aurora even with the new boundaries and, as Craig points out, Coffman is an Aurora guy.  He’s a vet and the average constituent doesn’t see him as an extremist.  He hasn’t said anything that has made crazy talk or ridiculous gaffe headlines. In other words, no compelling reason for the casual voter, and presidential years bring the most casual of  voters out, to fire him.

                I’m not throwing anything to anyone.  I’ve just been around the block, boys and girls. As I said before, I’d be thrilled to be wrong about this, thrilled to see a Dem win CD6 in 2012 but I honestly don’t think it can happen before 2014 at the earliest absent a dead girl or a live boy turning up inconveniently for Coffman in 2012.  

                I’ve volunteered for every Dem hopeful in CD6 since 2004. I’ve learned a thing or two since my early days of clueless, idealistic, let’s put on a show in the barn, anything is possible if we just clap our hands hard enough enthusiasm.  I call ’em like I see ’em these days, not like I wishful think ’em.

                1. And while Coffman hasn’t gotten much attention for spouting the Kool-Aid line, he’s certainly an imbiber.

                  * Supporter of Eggmendment II

                  * Signed the Norquist no taxes until death pledge

                  * Has been going after immigrants – even the legal ones, and even new citizens…

                  * Supported the Ryan budget which effectively kills Medicare

                  * Thinks Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme

                  * Refers to China as the great free-market economy example of our day

                  1. are those things a blip on the screen?  Come on. Even with the change. Are you betting on a Coffman defeat? Apple pie vet no particular scandals going down?

                    1. I’m saying that Coffman isn’t invulnerable to attack on these fronts – moreso, that he hasn’t been attacked on those comments in past campaigns, nor with this demographic.

                      He can be tied to the obstructionist GOP House, tied to their policies for the 1% – in fact, you can count on DCCC support being directed toward that message, as it appears the President has chosen his campaign path along those lines.

                    2. That’s definitely where the attack should come from and what the Dem message should be.  Just don’t think it will be enough but suspect you aren’t  exactly counting on a Coffman loss either.

              2. Even the Arapahoe County end of it.

                The problem is, people of color in the city, as well as the very large Russian and Asian communities, do not vote in huge numbers. When Aurora votes, Democrats win. That was our strategy in 08, and that’s why OFA, DFA, MoveOn, and every other progressive group in the country did GOTV in Aurora. It wasn’t the Democratic party in Arapahoe County that made Arapahoe County blue (they’re going to hate me for saying that), it was all the outside (national) help.

                When the national progressive groups weren’t here, Aurora lost three city council seats and funding for many of its libraries (09), and got another Republican Mayor (11) while voting down much-needed recreation centers for our kids. Republicans were simply much better at GOTV in the off years.

                My prediction: Prepare for Coffman and Gessler and their gang to do all they can to suppress the vote in Aurora, throw out voter registrations, and make voting more difficult for people whose first language is not English. You can bank on it.

                  1. but 2006 and 2008 were great years for Dems in general and 2008 was a great year for getting out minority voters to make history  electing the first African American president.  

                    I do think the Arap County Dem party worked very hard and effectively in conjunction with the Obama machine on GOTV, though I completely agree with the importance of national support, not that national support isn’t always key in close races and in taking seats away from the other party.  Of course, you only get it by first demonstrating that you have a real chance and could get over with the help of the big bucks.

                    2008 was a great Dem year because so many were fed up with the Bush administration, economy, wars and financial corruption to name a few.  2010 was a great R year because so many were disappointed in the new Dem trifecta’s inability to keep the promises of 2008 in regards to all the above.  

                    Now people are just as ticked, if not more so, with the Dem administration and R extremist control of congress in the House and ability to filibuster everything in the Senate. So we had a throw the R bums out election followed by a throw the D bums out election.  This time, throw the bums out pretty much applies to everybody, including many Tea Party (the most obvious supposedly non-establishment type) freshman and there’s also the new OWS movement.

                    I don’t think either 2008 or 2010 can be seen as a good model for 2012. It’s going to be interesting, to say the least, and there is still an eon in political time left for all kinds if things to explode and implode on every front before the presidential year voting public really focuses in.  

  4. and thank you to Andrew for endorsing him. I sincerely hope Andrew will run for a state-wide office in the future, jumping in at the beginning. I sincerely want to help him win the right race. Donors — please give generously to Joe’s campaign!

    1. if he moved in and started laying the groundwork, especially with Latinos and African Americans, right now and especially if Coffman decides to try for higher office leaving the seat without an incumbent. He certainly is now pursuing work that can be instrumental in raising his profile as a good guy who isn’t in it for the money which also happens to be a true picture of the man. He really is a good guy who cares about people and is serious about accomplishing good things.

      Bennet supporters (myself included) were never, on average, rabid Romanoff haters to the extent that so many Romanoff supporters hated Bennet. I think, for most of us, our feelings were more along the lines of in sorrow more than anger.

      Nobody can fail to recognize how much Andrew did for Dems during his time in the legislature and how big a role he played in building Dem majorities and supporting Dem candidates. I suspect most of us would be more than willing to let bygones be bygones, see the bad decisions of 2010 as an aberration and result of taking bad advice in his first truly competitive outing, and get on board to support Andrew at the right time in the right race.  

  8. What exactly are you criticizing Romanoff for, Pols? He never said he wanted to run for the seat — this non-story was always about insider party hacks such as yourself trying to talk him into running. If he had flatly rejected your attempts to persuade him to run before the new map was finalized, you would have been criticizing him for not properly hearing you out and not waiting to see what the district would look like!

          1. Now all you need to do is engage in conspiracy theories, blame the corporatey corporations for all of our Democrats that were elected against the will of the grassroots people and start up a shadowy organization that doesn’t bother to report what it raises or file with the state and you’re on your way to fitting right in.

            Oh, and learn to pretend that this is the first time you’ve ever had an account here even though you know the history of every poster you hate and can quote them from years back. In other words, start working on those sock puppets.  

        2. Eli Stokols (an actual real-world grownup journalist, unlike Pols) was reporting:

          FOX31 Denver has learned those Democratic strategists continue to pressure Romanoff to challenge Coffman — and that Romanoff, however disinclined toward making a run, is at least hearing them out.

          Can you imagine the alternate bullshit narrative Pols would be spinning right now if Romanoff hadn’t “heard them out,” if he had announced right off the bat that he wasn’t running? “Oh, that Andrew, he’s just not a team player! He didn’t even wait for the new map to be finalized before making this hasty decision! … blah-blah-blah”

            1. DENVER — Former statehouse Speaker Andrew Romanoff has decided not to run for Congress in the newly competitive 6th district.

              “It just wasn’t the right time,” Romanoff told FOX31 Denver. “I actually made this decision about three weeks ago, but some people have been very persistent.”

          2. The attacks were ridiculous. There was ZERO indication Romanoff was interested in this seat. Pols, do some research, and leave thoughts like this for your facebook status.

  10. How’s Andrew going to run for anything important without taking PAC money?

    Money wins races.

    He embraced the “too clean to take PAC money” meme because it was the only way to differentiate himself from Bennet, but that horse done left the barn.

    How’s he going to win a major race without that money?

    2. All he has to do is clarify that he won’t accept big-business PAC money. That was the intent of his 2010 pledge anyway — to demonstrate that he represents Main Street rather than Wall Street. His campaign erred in allowing the “no corporate money” pledge to be distorted into a “no PAC money at all” pledge. That’s easily remedied by simply restoring the original intent of the pledge. There’s plenty of non-corporate campaign money out there, and he should be able to attract a ton of it if he sticks with his pledge not to be a Bennet-like Wall Street puppet.

          1. You don’t even get the joke.

            Seriously, I wish Andrew nothing but the best, and I sincerely wanted him to run for this seat, but the first thing he has to do is stop taking your calls, stop reading your e-mails/texts, and take you out of his rolodex. Ditto for everyone who you associate with.

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