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January 10, 2006 09:00 AM UTC

Hefley Trying to Control Succession?

  • 21 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

It’s starting to look more and more like Rep. Joel Hefley is trying to control his succession in congress.

Colorado Pols first reported last February that Hefley was talking about retirement. Word first leaked out in October that Hefley was getting pressure from high-ranking Republicans to not retire and stay in his seat. Then…in late December we heard that Hefley was getting close to announcing his retirement. Admittedly, it looks like we’re just going back and forth on this one, and we were starting to think we had lost track of this story until this broke in The Rocky Mountain News:

The White House wants Joel Hefley, the 70-year-old dean of Colorado’s congressional delegation to set aside any thoughts about retiring. Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, said Monday he still has not decided whether he will seek an 11th term in the U.S. House of Representatives or retire at the end of 2006. He said hell decide “soon.”

In the meantime, Hefley said he received a call from one of President Bush’s aides in recent days, urging him to stay in the race. The reason is simple: “The more seats Republicans have to defend that are open, the tougher it’s going to be” for the GOP to hold its majority, Hefley said.

Hefley’s district is considered the most conservative in the state, but a potential GOP primary race could divert money needed to fight battles elsewhere. Hefley said he will balance that against his decision to do what’s best for himself, his family and his district. “You’re certainly not going to ignore the White House,” he said.

It’s interesting that Hefley leaks this on the same day that Republican John Wesley Anderson’s campaign announces that he will make a decision on running for CD-5 the next day — especially since we know that Hefley has been getting pressure to run for another term for months. Other Republicans are starting to stir, thinking that Hefley is planning to retire, and Hefley seems to be doing what he can to keep them at bay until he’s ready.

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21 thoughts on “Hefley Trying to Control Succession?”

  1. You know, I probably disagree with Hefley on every issue from A-Z, but he is the only Colorado Republican in Washington that I can honestly say seems to have any sort of independence and semblence of ethics. 

    I’d hate to see him leave (unless of course, he were to be replaced by a Democrat).

  2. You know, I probably disagree with Hefley on every issue from A-Z, but he is the only Colorado Republican in Washington that I can honestly say seems to have any sort of independence and semblence of ethics. 

    I’d hate to see him leave (unless of course, he were to be replaced by a Democrat).

  6. Hefley certainly has some so-called political capital now that Delay has stepped down from the leadership.  It’s more or less proven that, regardless of Delay’s legal guilt or innocence, the ethics committee (under Hefley’s chairmanship) was on the right track when they investigated him.  How this impacts Hefley’s decision to run or not is anyone’s guess, but he’d be an asset to the Republicans if he did go back for another term.

  7. How long has Fawcett lived in Colorado?  Judging by his bio from his website, (thanks, Dan Slater), it doesn’t appear to have been very long.

  8. Looks like about 11 years, BMR.  Not too bad – that’s all in-district, too – and I bet most voters give military personnel a bit of slack on residency.  That probably holds doubly-true in the Springs, where so much of the district revolves around the military.

  9. 11 years?  In total, yes?  IOW, off an on for 11 years… And only while stationed there with the military, and no doubt he was deployed somewhere or other (1st Gulf War being one of them) during that time.

    That significantly dilutes his knowledge of local affairs, IMO.

  11. BadMoonRising,

    Since you have never served in the military, you may not realize this, but servicemembers do not choose where they live; they are ordered where to live.  It is not his fault that he hasn’t lived here for more than 11 years, which is pleanty of time to be a US Representitive. 

    By your standard, almost no one who served a career in the military would be suited to be a Congressman from Colorado (not that we actually have any veterans serving in that capacity).

  13. That isn’t the point.

    Fawcett has lived here long enough to be an effective US Representitive.

    How long was John McCain a “legal residnet” of Arizona before elected senator?

    The same issue was raised against McCain in a debate and McCain smoked the guy.

  14. I agree, it wasn’t the point, SwiftBoat – so why you brought up my military service is anyone’s guess.

    However, I maintain that anyone that is stationed in a particular part of the country while on military service has, in my opinion, a very limited scope of what’s going on politically. 

    I asked a simple question after reading his bio, because it wasn’t clear to me how long Mr. Fawcett had lived here.  Mr. Phoenix was nice enough to clarify it for me (without the unfounded vitriol you used toward me).

    Now the question has been answered.  Mr. Fawcett has lived in CO since 1998.  That would certainly satisfy my concerns about his residency here.  Now it’s up to the voters to decide.

  16. I dont think the time in Colorado will be a problem for Fawcett if he registered to vote here when he was active duty.  If he did not declare this as his residence until after he retired or even later, it could be used against him. 

    Let’s be honest though, the biggest thing going against Fawcett is not how long he has lived here, it’s having a (D) after his name on the ballot.  That will be much harder to overcome in this district than not being a resident here for 20+ years.

  18. Robert’s point is well taken.  Beauprez had lived in the 7th CD what, 20 minutes, when he won his first race there.  Nobody cares about seat time, especially in a district with so many military and new residents as El Paso County.  But it’s that scarlet letter D that will kill him.
    The only question in 5 is which Republican will fill it.  I also don’t really think worrying about spending money on a primary is a big deal.  Campaign limits being what they are, the big donors can give to that primary without tapping money they can give to other, general election, races.

  19. I disagree on the importance of finances in CO-5 this year.  Hefley’s been a free ride for the GOP for about a decade now; without the incumbency, they’re going to have to spend more than just a little more getting the new candidate’s name out.  The district *could* go D with just the Dem and Indy votes in the district, though it’s unlikely if the Repubs put any effort into it.

  21. Given the current field of candidates, I think the one who spends the most money going into the primary will win.  I dont know who that helps or hurts because I dont know who gives out money around here, but that is my prediction.

    The only way this helps the Ds is if the R with the most money is a dud.

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