Colorado Capitol Report

Three Key Senate Races: Who Will Control the Colorado Senate in 2017 & 2018?


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State Policy News

Three Key Senate Races: Who Will Control the Colorado Senate in 2017 & 2018?

CACI’s goal for the legislative elections is for split political control of the two legislative chambers.  Past legislative sessions have demonstrated that CACI and the statewide business community that it represents fare best when control of the two chambers is split between the two major political parties.

Currently, the Republicans control the 35-member Senate by one vote and the Democrats control the House 34 to 31.

Last week’s issue of the CACI Colorado Capitol Report carried an article spotlighting how the state’s campaign finance law allows organized union a leg up when it comes to using small-donor committees to support legislative candidates.

To see how this works in practice, this article will examine how union SDCs are backing Democratic candidates in the three most important Senate races.

These three key Senate races are drawing close attention from the state’s political cognoscenti—and dollars and support to match.  Here are the CACI-endorsed candidates in the three races.

This article will take a deep dive into the District 19 and District 25 races.  The District 26 race will be covered in next week’s issue of CACI’s Colorado Capitol Report.

Senate District 19

The Senate District 19 in Jefferson County features incumbent Senator Woods again battling Democrat Rachel Zenzinger, who held the seat for two years before losing to Woods in the 2014 election by only 663 votes.  A Libertarian candidate, Gregg Miller, garnered 3,664 votes.  “Other” candidates drew 3,291 votes.  In 2014, the voter turnout was 60.65 percent of the total number of active voters.

In December 2013, Zenzinger was appointed to fill the seat of then-Senator Evie Hudak (D) who resigned to avoid a recall election by pro-gun forces whose leaders included Woods.  Democrats believed that Hudak would lose the recall election, which would result in a Republican being elected to represent the District, thus erasing the one-vote control that the Democrats had in the chamber.  Election of a Republican would have turned control of the Senate over to the Republicans by one vote.

Of the 105,804 active registered voters in Senate District 19, which includes Arvada and portions of Jefferson County, Westminster and Broomfield, as of September 6th:

  • 36% are unaffiliated,
  • 3% are Republican, and
  • 2% are Democrat.

In addition, 919 voters registered as Green Party members and 919 registered as Libertarians.  Given the volatility of the electorate this year, these minority party voters could play a critical role in whether Senator Woods or Zenzinger wins.

Senator Woods is vice-chair of the Senate Business and Labor Committee and serves on the Education Committee and the Appropriations Committee.

The Colorado Independent recently reported that the Senate District 19 race is the most expensive state legislative race this year.

As of September 14th, Woods had raised $126,186 and spent $83,065.  She started the election cycle with $43,949.  Meanwhile, Zenzinger started with $1,749, had raised $196,208 and had spent $130,146.

Here’s the list of private- and public-sector union SDCs that have contributed (maximum is $4,850) to Zenzinger’s campaign:

  • $4,850, Public Education Committee, Colorado Education Association.
  • $2,500, Colorado American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations.
  • $1,000, Sheet Metal Workers.
  • $4,000, Colorado State Conference of Electrical Workers.
  • $4,800, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 7.
  • $2,000, American Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters.
  • $3,000, Jefferson County Education Association
  • $1,000, Poudre Education Association for Children & Public Education
  • $1,000, SEIU Local 105.
  • $1,000, Colorado WINs
  • $2,000, Pipefitters Local 208
  • $2,000, Boulder Valley Education Association

Finally, the Colorado Democratic Party has bestowed $17,500 on Zenzinger.  The Colorado Trial Lawyers Association’s SDC added $2,000.

CACI urges its members to personally give to its endorsed candidates.  A corporation or a non-corporate business entity cannot give money directly to a candidate.  An individual, however, can give a legislative candidate up to $400.

For news media coverage of this race, read:

Zenzinger v. Woods state Senate race heats up,” by Marianne Goodland, The Colorado Independent, September 7th.

Colorado Senate Control May Hinge on JeffCo GOP Primary Election Tuesday,” CACI Colorado Capitol Report, June  19, 2014.

Senate District 25

The incumbent, Senator Mary Hodge (D-Brighton), has served two, four-year terms and is thus term-limited, which sets up the race for the open seat.

The Republican candidate, Representative Kevin Priola (Henderson), has served four terms in the House, first being elected to then-House District 30 seat and then re-elected in 2010.  Following redistricting, Representative Priola won election in 2012 to the House District 56 seat and again in 2014.  Representative Priola works for a family business, CAP Land Company.

The Democratic candidate is Jenise May, who worked for the Colorado Department of Human Services for 26 years, rising to the position of Deputy Director.  May was elected to the House District 30 seat in 2012 but was defeated in 2014 by Republican JoAnn Windholz by 106 votes.

Senate District 25 sprawls across Aurora, Brighton, Thornton and Commerce City and extends to the eastern border of Adams County.

Of the 68,821 active registered voters in the District as of September 6th:

  • 5% are unaffiliated,
  • 6% are Republican, and
  • 5% are Democrat.

In addition, 152 voters registered as Green Party members and 615 registered as Libertarians.  Given the volatility of the electorate this year, these minority-party voters could play a key role in determining which candidate wins.  In addition, Marianne Goodland, reporter for The Colorado Independent, points out that the District is 40 percent Latino, which could be an important factor in the election, depending on the turnout of the Latino voters.

As of September 14th, Priola had raised $129,092 spent $32,358.  Meanwhile, May had raised $145,333 and spent $108,933.

Amongst May’s individual contributors are three well-known, wealthy Democrats: Rutt Bridges, George Soros and Tom Steyer.

Here’s the list of private- and public-sector union SDCs that have contributed (maximum is $4,850) to May’s campaign:

  • $4,850, Public Education Committee, Colorado Education Association.
  • $2,500, Colorado American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations.
  • $1,000. Sheet Metal Workers.
  • $4,000, Colorado State Conference of Electrical Workers.
  • $4,000, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 7.
  • $1,000, Colorado WINs.
  • $2,000, Pipefitters Local 208.
  • $1,500, Boulder Valley Education Association.
  • $3,000, AFT Colorado Federation of Teachers, School, Health and Public Employees.

Finally, the Colorado Democratic Party has given May $13,500.  The Colorado Trial Lawyers’ SDC chipped in $2,000,

CACI urges its members to personally give to its endorsed candidates.  A corporation or a non-corporate business entity cannot give money directly to a candidate.  An individual, however, can give a legislative candidate up to $400.

For news media coverage of the Senate District 25 race, read:

Jenise May vs. Kevin Priola – Republicans seek to claim a long-held Democratic seat,” by Marianne Goodland, The Colorado Independent, August 8th.


CACI Lobbies CO Congressional Delegation on Labor, Regulatory Burdens

sen-bennet-group-photo

Leland Lorentzen , Stacey Campbell, Sen. Bennet, Leah Curtsinger, Dan Combs, Gene Sullivan, and Keith Pearson

Last week Leah Curtsinger, CACI’s Federal Policy Director, and a group of CACI members traveled to DC with a mission:  to ensure our Congressional delegation and those making federal labor policy learn and hear from employers about on-the-ground challenges they face here in Colorado from burdensome labor regulations and regulatory overreach.

Leland Lorentzen, Keith Pearson, Sen. Gardner, Dan Combs, Leah Curtsinger and Gene Sullivan

Leland Lorentzen, Keith Pearson, Sen. Gardner, Dan Combs, Leah Curtsinger and Gene Sullivan

This group of business leaders worked extremely hard and kept a tight schedule – meeting with Sens. Bennet (D-CO), Gardner (R-CO), and Enzi (R-WY); four of our House delegation (Reps. Buck (R-CO-4), Coffman (R-CO-6), Polis (D-CO-2) & Tipton (R-CO-3), as well as the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Labor Policy Director over just two days.

The CACI group received policy briefings from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) on labor, energy issues, taxes & workforce development, as well as a report on potential programs for CACI/NAM partnering, including the #ReThinkRedTape campaign.  (**See note below for more info.)

On the fun side of things, this group got a behind-the-scenes tour of the U.S. Supreme Court and did a dinner with Senator Bennet’s Legislative Director to de-mystify the politics and process of Capitol Hill.  A special thank you goes to Leland Lorentzen of LRL, LLC & to Gene Sullivan of Wells Fargo for sponsoring meals for this hard-working CACI crew.

 

Be on the lookout for future “CACI to DC” opportunities!

**The NAM’s Rethink Red Tape is a collaboration with CACI to identify even the smallest of regulations that either help or hurt your business.  If a policy or regulation comes to mind right away, CACI would love to hear your perspective and story. 

If you have questions about this or other federal issues, please contact Leah Curtsinger at (303) 866-9641.