Hi.
Look, I don't know why certain people are focusing on ten or twelve races for the House. I don't see why they're focusing on 30. I think we should be focusing on 435 races, because, this year in particular, I think we can do it.
Let's just look at one state. Colorado. I happen to know a bit about Colorado, having lived there for four years back in the eighties. I can, for example, get from Aurora to Boulder without getting lost.
I also happen to know that, if we give a hoot, Colorado can go from pretty dang red to pretty dang blue this year.
Ready? Jump!
Colorado has seven congressional districts. Democrats are offering candidates for all seven seats. We currently hold three seats (CO-1, CO-2 and CO-3).
CO-1 is Denver, and is as blue as any city that still has a lot of VW Bugs (the old ones) cruising up and down the main boulevards. This town is 73% Democratic and Representative DeGette is as safe as any Dem is going to get.
CO-1 Safe Blue
CO-2 is Boulder and surrounding areas. Boulder is only slightly more conservative than Berkeley, California, but the surrounding areas are live-free-or-die-gimme-my-guns mountain folks, so the area is only 67% Democratic, and Congressman Udall is safe.
CO-2 Safe Blue
CO-3's cities are Pueblo, Durango and Grand Junction, and is the Western third of the state. This area has an awful lot of live-free-or-die-gimme-my-guns mountain folks. The area is relatively poor (especially compared to CO-1 and CO-2) and Hispanic. This area is John Salazar's district, and if that name sounds familiar, it's because his brother is Senator Salazar. While the district is really a nice purple hue, John's farming and ranching background make him safe in this seat.
CO-3 Pretty Safe Blue
CO-4 is the Eastern portion of the state and is, in all honesty, a pretty dang red place to be. But even CO-4 isn't red enough to make Marilyn Musgrave safe, and especially not against Angie Paccione. Angie is the Chair of the State Majority Democratic Caucus, a Ph.D. former teacher and former pro-basketball player who grew up in the Bronx. Surprise! This lady wants to compete, this lady wants to win, and you know what? She's kicking Musgrave's red little butt all over the map. I think Angie's gonna take this one all the way, and she's been on my ActBlue page since the beginning.
CO-4: Blue if we help
CO-5: Colorado Springs, home of Focus on the Family and many fundamentalist organizations. This district is as red as a bucket of red paint. Or is it? Representative Joel Heffley, who must've been in the House since they needed help putting up the walls, is retiring this year. And in steps Fighting Dem, Jay Fawcett. Do I hear the bleating of a sacrificial lamb? Nosireebob. Jay's a fighter and he's in it to win. It's gonna take a lot of work and a near perfect storm, but he's got a chance.
CO-5: Blue with some Divine Intervention
CO-6: Littleton, Castle Rock, Jefferson County. I nevereverevereverever would have thought that this was going to be a race, but in steps Bill Winter to take on Tom Tancredo. Bill is absolutely and positively the right guy to run in CO-6. He's a veteran twice over and coached football. He's a man's man, and, for all that, as progressive as we could hope for.
CO-6: Bill's gonna need a lot of help, but this one is ours if we fight for it
CO-7: Aurora, Lakewood and Arvada plus Adams County. This is Ground Zero. An evenly divided field and the incumbent, Beauprez, has left the field to run for governor. In a normal year, I would say this is a red area. Not this year. If Ed Perlmutter runs this right, the race is his.
CO-7: Very likely Blue.
My bet is that we walk away with 3 more seats than we started with.