One of the closest Republican victories in the 2014 elections in Colorado was the extremely narrow win by Sen. Laura Waters Woods over appointed Democratic Sen. Rachel Zenzinger in SD-19. By fewer that 700 votes, Woods ousted the former Arvada councilwoman appointed to replace Sen. Evie Hudak, who resigned rather than face a recall campaign principally organized by Woods.
Even after Hudak's resignation, Woods did not have a clear path to the GOP SD-19 nomination. Concerned about Woods' long-term viability for holding this critical swing seat, establishment Republicans fought hard to defeat Woods and put Lang Sias in this seat. Sias lost out to Woods in the SD-19 primary after Rocky Mountain Gun Owners rallied its supporters behind Woods' campaign.
Sias finally won an appointment to the Colorado House in overlapping HD-27 this year, but from what we've heard, Republicans are still very concerned that Woods will be unable to hold the SD-19 seat against a strong Democratic challenge. Even though Woods won in last year's election, she doesn't get a full Senate term before running again: in order to realign this seat with its usual election interval, Woods will be back up for election next year.
Assuming she makes it that far. Sources tell us that Woods is being watched very closely by Republican minders this year in the Senate, and is on a short list of potential GOP establishment primary targets in 2016. Because this seat is considered pivotal to control of the Senate by both parties, there is no margin for error: and Woods by most accounts hasn't impressed upper-echelon Republicans who will map their playing field next year.
During last year's primary, one of the major attacks on Woods from fellow Republicans pertained to her "retirement" in the 1990s, claiming disability for carpal tunnel syndrome. Now, we certainly aren't going to speculate on whether or not Sen. Woods was legtimately disabled by carpal tunnel syndrome, but she does note on her website that her disability was positive insofar as she was able to raise her children at home. As you can see in the mailer above, fellow Republicans used her description of her condition to raise questions about Woods "contributing to the growing epidemic of disability fraud."
If that sounds thin to you, bear in mind that you're not the target audience–Republican primary voters in SD-19 are. And don't get us wrong, depending on how Sen. Woods acquits herself in the next few months, Democrats may prefer she be the general election candidate. Either way, if Republican brass does decide to pull the proverbial trigger on Woods, this disability business will just be the opening salvo.
Stay tuned–control of the Colorado Senate may well hinge on what happens here.
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I'll bet the RMGOpers probably already have another manly Neville-in-waiting????
does Julie Williams live in SD 19?
Here's the elephant in SD19, Evie, and then Rachel, were both fortunate enough to have a libertarian running as well, 4,500 votes in 12, 3,500 in 14.
Next question is who do the Democrats run? Rachel again? << my favorite.
Realistically, is there any serious Democrat contender for this seat other than Rachel v. Laura II?
The district boundaries have changed somewhat, but this is a seat that was held by a Democrat for most of the last decade.
Ok, but it's also a seat that has had 3,500 and 4,500 conservative votes siphoned away in the last two very thin margin elections. And in the last election the good folks of SD19 voted in a complete whack job.
And more to the point, who besides Rachel would be a good candidate was the question?
Why not just get somebody to resign from something so she can take it and then appoint someone to fill her seat? That seems to be the preferred way these days.
Because she won't do it. She'll have to be dislodged.
I have a Republican friend in her district who supported Sias and agrees she is ripe for a primary.
Faye Griffin?
Thanks Frank, I needed a chuckle, wait, you could be serious…
That's a pretty low swipe in that ad. I wouldn't dream about going after someone for their carpal tunnel injury unless I was damned sure it was a fraud; the insinuation is cheap and mean. Or am I just to nice to be in politics?
I agree. They're pretty vicious to each other too.
You're too nice to be in politics. It isn't the injury, it is the hypocracy. Don't run against employee protections when you've taken advantage of the very program you are criticizing.
She didn't take advantage of the Colorado health care law did she?