February 26, 2012 07:07 AM UTC

Paul Rosenthal Gets the Incumbent Treatment Courtesy of Pat Steadman

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• by: Colorado Pols

Sitting elected officials at the state level are often reluctant – and sometimes downright recalcitrant – to endorse any candidate in a state level race when that candidate is in a primary.

There’s good reason for that, of course, particularly in districts with such heavy registration advantages for either party that the primary election is akin to the general. Sitting legislators will ostensibly have to work with whoever wins their party’s primary, and “working together” becomes a whole lot more awkward when there’s lingering resentment because you endorsed the losing candidate.

That’s why it comes as a surprise that State Senator Pat Steadman will be holding a joint fundraiser with HD-9 candidate Paul Rosenthal. Steadman isn’t just an honorary “host” of a Rosenthal fundraiser – standard fare for an elected endorser. Instead, Steadman will be fundraising for his own campaign right alongside Rosenthal.

From Steadman:

Please join us on Thursday, March 8th from 5:30-7:30P.M. for a rockin’ happy hour in support of two candidates for the 69th General Assembly.

Suggested Contribution: $50

($25 to each candidate committee)

Contribute online at http://www.peopleforpaul.com & http://www.patsteadman.com

Gunther Toody’s Denver Diner

4500 E. Alameda Ave. (at Leetsdale Dr.)

Glendale CO, 80246

That Steadman is encouraging donors to give both to his own re-election campaign and Rosenthal’s campaign fund is evidence that Rosenthal has been widely and wildly accepted as the eventual Democratic nominee in HD-9. Steadman clearly isn’t afraid to step on Rosenthal challenger Bill McMullen‘s toes because there’s no chance that Rosenthal won’t get his party’s nod.

It’s events like these that make the HD-9 race all that much stranger. Paul Rosenthal’s never won any of his campaigns for public office yet he’s being treated as though he’s the sitting representative, joint fundraising events with an area state senator and all. RTD-Director Bill McMullen, on the other hand, can point to his record in public policy and government as well as the fact that he’s demonstrated his ability to win a campaign. By all measures, McMullen is a much more credible candidate – he should be the one enjoying legislator endorsements, or at the very least, he should be able to prevent people like Steadman from endorsing in the race at all.

Chalk it all up to timing, folks. Rosenthal had been publicly gunning for the HD-9 seat since May 2011 and hinting about it even earlier. If McMullen had entered the race the very second Joe Miklosi announced his CD-6 run, he might’ve had a fighting chance. As it stands now, however, McMullen seems like a misguided outsider campaigning against someone with all the benefits of incumbency and none of the drawbacks of a career in politics.