DENVER – Republican Scott Tipton is facing several challengers who wish to unseat him this year in the 3rd Congressional District.
Challenges are coming from both the left and the right, with Tipton facing off Friday against a GOP opponent at the 3rd Congressional District assembly.
Tipton received 60 percent of the delegate vote, while 27-year-old Alex Beinstein got 40 percent. Beinstein earned more than the 30 percent needed to qualify for the primary ballot, which means the two will face off again in a June 28 contest.
“I hope you join with me,” Tipton addressed delegates inside a hotel ballroom in Colorado Springs, pointing to anger with an “EPA that can create a spill in Durango, Colorado, and not be held accountable like private business.”
Beinstein questioned Tipton’s conservative record, suggesting that he is an outsider representing change that Tipton can’t bring.
“I don’t think it made sense to fight a revolutionary war to replace one huge central authority in London with another in Washington,” said Beinstein, a recent law school graduate.
At least three Democrats could also seek their party’s nomination to challenge Tipton next week at the Democratic 3rd Congressional District assembly.
Former state Sen. Gail Schwartz of Snowmass Village formally announced Friday morning that she is running in the district.
“As a proven champion for rural communities, I have fought to make Western and Southern Colorado the best place to work, raise a family and educate our children,” Schwartz said in a statement. “Working together, I know that we can bring ... commonsense leadership to a broken Congress.”
A spokesman for Schwartz said the candidate would not comment beyond the prepared statement.
Schwartz outlined “serving hardworking families” as her drive, seeking investments in rural infrastructure, including broadband, and protecting natural resources.
Schwartz has, perhaps, the greatest name recognition of Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in the 3rd District. She has the support of Democratic superstar Ken Salazar, the former Interior secretary and a native of the San Luis Valley.
John Salazar, Ken Salazar’s brother and a fellow Democrat, held the seat before Tipton.
“I’m proud that my friend Gail Schwartz is stepping up to provide the type of independent leadership that Western Colorado deserves,” said Ken Salazar. “Gail’s work in the San Luis Valley and for our rural communities has been transformative; she has worked to build new schools, protect our seniors and take care of our veterans.
“We can’t afford to let our rural communities suffer at the hands of Washington politicians that are solely concerned with keeping their jobs and doing the bidding of special interests.”
Michael Fortney, a Tipton campaign strategist, responded: “I don’t know that much about Gail Schwartz but what I do know is she led the charge on the war on coal at Colorado’s Capitol.
“It will be good for her to get out into the 3rd Congressional District and explain to the unemployed coal workers why she shut down their industry. Delta County just lost more than 100 jobs at the end of February – she should start there.”
Campaigning in the 3rd is complicated by the vast size of the district, which includes most of the Western Slope and southern portions of the Eastern Plains. It is one of the geographically largest congressional districts in the nation.
The district often swings between Republicans and Democrats, though it currently favors a Republican candidate. There are 174,460 registered Republicans, compared with 148,636 registered Democrats. Republicans make up about 34 percent of the district, while Democrats comprise about 29 percent.
The question, however, is the 178,563 unaffiliated voters, standing at about 35 percent of the district.
Gordon Bronson, a 27-year-old political strategist from Aspen, and Stephen Sheldon, an Eagle veterinarian, are also seeking the Democratic Party’s nod to challenge Tipton.
Like the Republican assembly, Democratic candidates need 30 percent of the delegate vote at the district assembly next week to qualify for the June 28 primary ballot.
It’s unclear whether the two candidates will drop out to make way for Schwartz.
“The most important thing is that we put forward the strongest candidate possible to take Tipton in the fall,” Bronson said. “It’s really important that the party work together and stand together, and that we build a winning coalition to support Democrats up and down the ticket for November.”
pmarcus@durangoherald.com
