U.S. Senate
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(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(R) Somebody
80%
20%
Governor
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(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Phil Weiser
(D) Jena Griswold
60%
60%
40%↓
Att. General
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(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Alexis King
(D) Brian Mason
40%
40%
30%
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(D) A. Gonzalez
(R) Sheri Davis
40%
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(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
(D) Jerry DiTullio
60%
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CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
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80%
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(R) Lauren Boebert*
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90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank*
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CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
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CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen*
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10%
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(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(D) Joe Salazar
50%
40%
40%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
January 17, 2024 11:31 AM UTC
14 Comments
The 
From here, Hillman invokes the memory of one of the great cautionary tales of Republican overreach even in a safe Republican district, ex-CD-4 Rep. Marilyn Musgrave:
For the record, I threw up in my mouth a little after reading his comment that Musgrave was a "fundamentally decent person," but I guess everything is relative.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I agree with Mark. As a person Marilyn is not in the same class as the HoBo from Rifle. Marilyn had a rather gentile spirit in person. She dropped by the Wray hospital once to visit my grandmother and it was a very authentic moment. While my politics on the God, Guns & Gays Ideology and hers suffer a wide chasm I’ll bet I could find one issue we could agree on over a dinner. At least you knew where Marilyn stood, a stark contrast to those Republicans that followed her. Betsy was the hardest working Rep CD-4 ever had. It’s our loss. To think of the contrast berween Betsy and Bobo is about as different as one could imagine. Weld County will decide who holds that seat but I can tell you from the handful of conversatioms I’ve had in a very unscientific poll the eastern plains natives are not impressed with HoBo’s carpetbagging.
Appreciate your insight, Michael. Though I'm not optimistic for a decent candidate to take the seat, getting Boebert out of Congress entirely would be at least some victory.
I’m of the opinion this race is Jerrys to lose. Like Marilyn, he’d be a respectable (and in Jerry's case, a jolly) happy hour or dinner companion and, like Marilyn, one could probably find an issue or two where common ground could be found. Unless one is a flaming, sword swallowing MAGA, I'm not sure that applies to anyone else in the primary.
I can live with Jerry for sure and will enjoy disagreeing with him.
Sonnenberg was OK on basic education funding, not too surprising considering that he's married to a teacher. He also voted for rural broadband infrastructure spending.
However, MAGA culture warriors have targeted schools and school boards, and Jerry was quick to jump in. He's voted against accurate sex education classes , would probably vote against " Critical Race Theory" ( accurate War or Civil Rights history), if given a chance to do so. So yes, we could probably agree on the idea that taxpayers should fund public education. It's a low bar, but there we are.
I stand reminded about the hazards of being flippant, Michael. I detested most of Musgrave's political positions but certainly never knew her as a person. And best I can tell, she never got pulled over for drunk driving and reached for the gun in his pocket, like a certain other candidate this year for CD4!
Thx 2J2D. Appreciate the comment.
Lest we wax too nostalgic…. Musgrave had her own corruption issues. She received $30,000 from Jack Abramoff and $1,000 from Tom Delay, used her Congressional office for campaign franking and lied about it, etc.
Abramoff is a blast from the past! I couldn’t find an article on whether she returned her money like many others did (not defending, just wondering). They (Republican evangelicals) are all drunk on the notion that “their righteous God” is on their side so anything goes. It’s an old story with the GOP. Today’s Exhibit A: HoBo. I wouldn’t vote for Marilyn as a politician and would vote for Ike (if he’s still in?) over the victor in the primary, I’m just not of the opinion Marilyn is deserving of our wrath as a long-since-politically-defeated, now-private citizen.
In the big picture, Marilyn Musgrave is a flawed human being who made some choices to ally with corrupt people and bigoted policies. She used a vaguely feminist notion, built from decades of grassroots organizing by others. of "supporting a woman" to further her own career, while undermining every policy that furthered gender equality. She did donate the Delay and Abramoff money to charities, a little late.
I believe most people have some redeeming qualities, and that it isn't productive to demonize anyone, as popular as that pastime is. So sure, i'm glad she was kind to your grandmother. But in that big picture, MM has done much more harm than good – in her public life, anyway.
I'm kind of sick about Ike McCorkle. He had a small chance to break 40%, and a perfect storm of undervotes and third party candidates, plus the HoBo magic, could have eked out a victory. But a moment of New Year's Eve stupidity and thinking that a "no contact" order meant "maybe contact if you're really polite" dooms that possibility. He hasn't stepped down, and probably won't. I'll still send money, because i like Ike.
As you wrote, CD4 is Sonnenberg's to lose.
I don't disagree with you (or anyone in this forum) of the damage done in that political time. I did have more than that one occasion to be around here during my Republican days and I found her to be a gentile personality . An overwhelming number of my family and friends are MAGA and I try hard to separate the politics from the person as an intentional act, even when it's not reciprocated. I despise what this cult freak show has done to families, friends and communities, but here we are.
On a happier note I cleaned up some files over the weekend and found some 2017 hemp harvest photos with you. I'll send them to you! That was a fun day.
The discussion has made me reflect on harm vs good done by public vs private persona, and what integrity means. Examples:
Your public persona "Mr. Hemp" has done much public good over the years.i don't know you well, but I think you are widely respected precisely because there isn't much daylight between your public and private persona.
I've had to separate my public vs. private life as an English teacher for years- avoiding political discussions with students unless curriculum-related. Example: Punctuation is not political, but pronouns now are! One can't separate historical context from American literature, and people do learn from respectful discussions. Debate students get really good at that.
Several of my current adult students are vax-denying Trumpers, and I generally avoid those subjects, although they're aware that I disagree. More power to you for facilitating civil conversations, keeping your own integrity and those relationships going. One of. I wish that grownups had moderated forums for discussion.
Yes, helping with your hemp harvest was the most fun I've had on a farm since my kids were young. I went home stinking of cannabis, and with a new respect for the work that goes into creating CBD products. Is your son still growing hemp?
This spring, I plan a trip " up north" to visit some old friends. If you're around, I'd love to catch up.
One of the best times of my adult life was the SD-1 race in 2010. Jesus Christ running in that districtt with a (D) behind his name would lose the race, but I have to tell you I made some really good Republican friends in SE Colorado and we keep in touch to this day. I cherish those friends. I decided to blog here under my own name long ago as I was comfortable with owning where I stood on issues, regardless of the blowback. Forty diaries later I’d still stand behind my positions. I get why so many have to be anonymous in this day and age for personal safety and work reasons, at least we can engage at some level. That anonyity, sadly, brings with it a lot of dark angels. I’m not beating up anyone for how they feel about Marilyn, that’s a personal choice. That era brought with it a LOT of baggage that still haunts us today: Iraq Way, Rumsfeld, Newt and his “permanent majority”, Delay, Abromoff, Ken Starr, Denny Hassert, just to name a few. It was Marilyn and Brophy’s dramatic push to the right that gave me the final impetus to leave the Republican Party. Turns out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m very proud to call myself a Democrat – particularly for all that means in the context of history and rural America.
This is anecdotal and a Califonia story but a friend of mine works in the Orange County Democratic Party. Dems now outnumber Repubs there and are 80,000 ahead in new voter registration (sorry, Ali) We had a win in the Florida special election this week, even after being outspent 2:1. There are lots of signs beyone the MAGA/Media hyperbole that point towards victory this Fall.