June 04, 2012 10:01 PM UTC

Sue Schafer Scores CACI Endorsement

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• by: Colorado Pols

State Representative Sue Schafer was one of just three Democrats in the legislature endorsed by the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, according to a press release issued by the business group last week.

From CACI:

CACI Board Approves Pro-Business Slate of Legislative Incumbents for November Elections

On Thursday of last week, May 24th, the CACI Board of Directors approved a slate of 26 incumbent legislators who are seeking re-election or, in the case of two representatives, election to the Senate, for an endorsement by CACI and, in most cases, a contribution of $400.

Under Colorado’s campaign finance laws, $400 is the maximum contribution that a political committee-in this case, CACI’s Colorado Business Political Action Committee-can give to a legislative candidate over the 2011-2012 election cycle.

Toward the end of the legislative session, the CACI lobbying team began assessing the voting record of incumbent legislators, who are seeking re-election or election to the Senate, for the 2011 and 2012 sessions through the prism of CAC’s lobbying agendas.

A “pro-business” voting record, when viewed through “the prism of CAC’s lobbying agendas,” invariably results in Republican legislators earning the CACI endorsement. Indeed, nearly all of Jeffco’s GOP legislators — State Representatives Cheri Gerou, Libby Szabo, Robert Ramirez, and Ken Summers, specifically — garnered CACI’s seal of approval.

Still, that Schafer also received kind words from the state’s most visible business lobby isn’t too surprising. Her predecessor, former boss, ideological advisor — and now State Senator — Cheri Jahn was endorsed by CACI several times in the past, perhaps because Jahn, a small-business owner, views every piece of legislation by gauging “how it will affect her business.”

Jahn, elected to the Senate in 2010, isn’t up for re-election this year, so she couldn’t possibly benefit from CACI’s check. It’s logical, then, that Jahn’s former aide gets to enjoy the perks of being “pro-business.”

We suspect both legislators will earn the endorsement in 2014.