Hefley calls it a career

Congressman's decision may spark lively primary in Colo. Springs district

M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 17, 2006 at midnight

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U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley, the soft-spoken dean of Colorado's congressional delegation, said Thursday he will not seek re-election in 2006.

The long-awaited decision by Hefley, 70, sets up a succession scramble in his Colorado Springs district, considered the most Republican bastion in the state.

Hefley, the longest-serving member of Colorado's congressional delegation, had hinted since last year that he might leave at the end of this, his 10th term in Congress.

Hefley said the decision to retire was difficult. "On the other hand, it's wonderful to make this decision when you're not mad at anybody and you don't feel pushed out and you still like it," he said.

"It's like John Elway quit when he probably had two or three good seasons he probably could have played."

With the announcement, Hefley's 5th District suddenly could have a lively GOP primary.

Former El Paso County Sheriff John Anderson has announced his candidacy for the party's nomination. Potential candidates include state Sen. Doug Lamborn; Jeff Crank, of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce; and the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

On the Democratic side, Jay Fawcett, an Air Force Academy graduate with 20 years in the officer corps and a Bronze Star from the 1991 Gulf War, is hoping to score a surprise upset.

Hefley first talked about the pros and cons of retirement last summer, and reporters weren't the only ones pressing him for an answer.

Since Christmas, unnamed officials at the White House have called him five times, he said. With national pundits predicting a tough, midterm election season ahead for Republicans, the party can't afford a wave of retirements, which would cause the GOP to divert money to defending vulnerable, open seats.

Hefley's plans even came up Thursday during a meeting of the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors in Washington, D.C.

During the meeting, but before his announcement, Hefley complimented one of the speakers, retired Col. Jim Shaw, of the academy's Association of Graduates.

"Have you ever thought of running for political office?" Hefley asked.

"If there's a vacancy in El Paso County, I might," Shaw joked.

Hefley smiled: "Just so you wait for the vacancy."

In the end, Hefley said he had mixed feelings but decided it was time to move on. "I'm going to have a lot of misgivings about leaving. It has been 20 years.

"It's not only what we do here in Washington but the ability of my folks in Colorado to help people with their individual problems. It's enriching. It's rewarding."

Once named among the most obscure members in the U.S. House of Representatives, Hefley gained national attention in 2004 by taking on one of the most powerful men in Washington, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

Hefley chaired the House Ethics Committee when it formally admonished DeLay three times over actions that allegedly went "beyond the bounds of acceptable conduct."

Hefley was the lone Republican to speak out against proposed ethics rules changes that critics saw as an attempt to shield DeLay from further scrutiny. That move won him admiration from Democrats and liberal interest groups, even though Hefley is considered as conservative as any member of Congress.

Rep. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, called Hefley his mentor - "always a gentleman and a straight- shooter."

"We haven't always agreed on issues, but at the end of the day we always knew we'd be good friends," Udall said. "We could use more people like that in Congress."

Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Loveland, called it a "tremendous loss" to lose Hefley's voice in protecting Colorado's military bases - like Fort Carson and Peterson Air Force Base - from rounds of base closings that devastated other communities around the country.

"It speaks to his effectiveness that his district's major military installations remained intact," said Allard, who will inherit Hefley's mantle as longest-serving Coloradan in Congress.

"I'm not only losing my best friend in Congress, but Congress will lose one of the most ethical and important voices it has when it comes to issues of integrity," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Littleton.

Born in Oklahoma, Hefley moved to Colorado Springs in 1965 and was elected to the state legislature in 1976. He was elected to Congress a decade later, taking aim at the size of the federal budget and pushing to reduce taxes.

He wasn't afraid to criticize colleagues from both parties, as he issued a weekly "Porker of the Week" award to highlight what he considered wasteful spending on pet projects. With a lifelong interest in art, he also lampooned both Republicans and Democrats in cartoons.

As Hefley explained last year: "I don't keep a journal. I draw pictures instead."

U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley

R-Colorado Springs

• Age: 70, born on April 18, 1935, in Ardmore, Okla.

• Experience: First elected in 1986 to represent the 5th Congressional District, including Chaffee, El Paso, Fremont, Lake, Park and Teller counties.

• Committees: Serves on House Armed Services Committee and chairs its Readiness Subcommittee. Former chairman of the House Standards of Official Conduct (aka Ethics) Committee.

• Family: He and his wife, state Rep. Lynn Hefley, have three daughters and four grandchildren.

• Hobbies: Raising quarter horses, sculpting bronze statues, drawing cartoons about life in Congress.

sprengelmeyerm@shns.com.

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