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Brown, McLachlan have unfinished business

Guns, water, transportation define state House race

DENVER – Southwest Colorado is home to one of the most expensive and divisive statehouse races this year.

Rep. Mike McLachlan, a Democrat from Durango, is fighting to maintain his seat in House District 59. Former Rep. J. Paul Brown, R-Ignacio, is hoping to unseat McLachlan in the race that has focused heavily on gun control.

McLachlan, an attorney, replaced Brown, a rancher, in 2012 after beating him by only 917 votes.

The rematch already has seen McLachlan raise more than $132,000. Brown has raised about $76,000. Such high numbers are rare in legislative races.

Special-interest groups, including the conservative Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, also are working to influence the race. On the other side, the House Majority Project, which supports Democrats, is closely watching the election.

The focus is largely on gun control. McLachlan supported two controversial bills in 2013 that mandated universal background checks and banned high-capacity ammunition magazines of more than 15 rounds.

The Durango lawmaker faced a threat of a recall election after his votes, but that attempt never gained momentum.

When he was faced with a measure that would have banned magazines of 10 rounds, McLachlan pushed for the limitation to be increased to 15. That compromise stuck, and the law passed.

“What we’ve accomplished so far remains supported by the public as a whole,” McLachlan said. “Even the majority of the members of my district support the basic background checks.”

Brown, however, has taken aim at McLachlan over the laws. He asserts that McLachlan does not fully understand the impact, suggesting that friends are required to undergo a background check under the law.

There are no restrictions for family members. Passing along a gun is simply considered a transfer of ownership.

Gun owners are allowed to transfer to a friend for less than 72 hours, but there is an assumption of liability with the transfer.

In an interview with The Durango Herald, McLachlan recited the law accurately. But Brown remains convinced that McLachlan does not understand the laws he supported.

“I have people talk to me every day about it,” Brown said. “It’s not just Republicans that are really concerned about it. They actually feel like that’s the issue that’s going to cook his goose.”

Unfinished business

Both candidates say they have unfinished business.

For Brown, his tenure was cut short. He blames his loss in 2012 on the fact that legislative boundaries were redrawn. The seat was redrawn from a more right-leaning district to a more moderate district, with a somewhat equal balance of Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters.

“The new district, it was gerrymandered to get rid of me,” Brown said.

He highlights water, transportation and regulations as key issues to focus on, including addressing water storage and the state’s woefully underfunded roads and highways.

Brown even suggested that it may be time to ask voters for more money to address transportation infrastructure.

“We may have to go to the people for more money,” Brown said. “But I think there are some other things we can do in the meantime.”

McLachlan echoed similar thoughts on unfinished business, stating, “I do have some issues that I want to continue to work on.

“I truly am honored to be a state representative, because as state representative, you can actually positively do something for the people of the state of Colorado,” he said.

Education is a top priority for McLachlan, though he does not believe funding should be the sole concern.

“Our revenue picture is going to continue to improve, and that will have a beneficial effect on school financing,” McLachlan said. “The most important element of education is the parent involvement.”

Water storage is also important to McLachlan, suggesting that more needs to be done to address needs.

“We need to increase the Eastern Slope water storage. If we don’t do that, then the deficiencies which seem to be created by the population will be taken from the Western Slope,” McLachlan said.

But he acknowledged that the race to the finish line will be long and hard.

“I won by a reasonably narrow margin. I’m what any political observer would call vulnerable,” McLachlan said. “It’s a targeted seat.”

Despite Brown’s reputation as a staunch conservative, he stopped short of drawing any alliance to the tea party, but said he understands the sentiments of the movement.

“I don’t know how you really define the tea party,” Brown said. “The tea party was a group of people that said, ‘We’re overtaxed and overregulated.’ I identify with that.”

pmarcus@durangoherald.com

Mike McLachlan

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Key issues: Bipartisan approach to legislating, an effective lawmaker, represents a diverse group of constituents

Family: Wife, Barbara, two grown children

Occupation: Attorney

Residence: Durango

Favorite president: Harry Truman

J. Paul Brown

Party affiliation: Republican

Key issues: Increasing water storage, improving roads and highways, eliminating costly rules and regulations

Family: Wife, Debbie, four children, eight grandchildren

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Ignacio

Favorite president: Ronald Reagan



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