Right wing flies high

GOP voters choose hard-core hopefuls in several races

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Hard-core conservatives scored big in Tuesday's legislative primary, either knocking off Republicans who had sided with Gov. Bill Owens on Referendum C or electing the far- right candidate in several races.

They lost just one contest, a House seat in Larimer County.

Why did they do so well?

"They lied and it worked," said Katy Atkinson, a GOP political consultant, a reference to conservatives' ads that falsely painted some candidates as soft on issues, including gay rights, abortion and immigration reform.

But Rep. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, said he believes a one- two punch of illegal immigration and Referendum C helped his wing of the party.

"We've had a Democratic regime in charge for the last two years, and voters want us to get in there and kick butt," said Schultheis, who was unopposed in his bid for the Senate.

The Senate is poised to become the most conservative in memory.

"Without a doubt, this is great for Colorado," said one conservative victor, Rep. Ted Harvey, of Highlands Ranch, who won his Senate primary.

But Sen. Kiki Traylor, who lost her election bid by 79 votes, joined a chorus of Republicans who fear the election of archconservatives Tuesday only helps Democrats in November. "We've dug ourselves a wicked hole as Republicans," said Traylor, R-Littleton.

The winner in her race, Mike -Kopp, faces Democrat Paula Noonan.

Republicans account for 43 percent of voters in Senate District 22 and Democrats 25 percent, but Noonan believes the attacks on Traylor from Kopp's backers make it unlikely he will pick up a chunk of her supporters.

Traylor said accusations that she was a tax-spending liberal with a poor record on illegal-immigration reform were nothing but lies.

Former Sen. Norma Anderson, R-Lakewood, said she fears Senate Democrats, who are defending an 18-17 majority, could pick up one or two extra seats.

It was Anderson's surprise resignation in January - a year before her term was up - that set in play one of the most bitter and close primary races this year.

Traylor was appointed to the seat, to the chagrin of Republicans who had planned to run for what was going to be an open seat.

The lead between Traylor and -Kopp seesawed throughout the night, with Traylor learning just after midnight that provisional ballots weren't expected to change the outcome.

The race isn't close enough to trigger an automatic recount, said Susan Miller, director of elections for Jefferson County.

Kopp was endorsed by several conservative organizations, including Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, the Colorado Club for Growth and the Christian Coalition of Colorado.

"My campaign stayed 100 percent focused on our traditional Republican message and did not encourage or use negative campaign tactics in any way," Kopp said.

The only candidate to survive the conservative juggernaut was Loveland businessman Don Maristoca, who beat Kevan McNaught in the GOP race to succeed Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland.

But Maristoca's campaign manager, former Rep. Tim Fritz, said it was difficult for the right to hammer his candidate.

"Don is known for his incredible good works throughout the community," Fritz said, ticking off a number of Maristoca's charities.

Maristoca said he supported Referendum C, a tax measure on last year's ballot, because he believed the state needed to invest in roads and higher education to thrive.

But other Ref C supporters, including Rep. Dale Hall, R-Greeley, were not as lucky. Hall lost his Senate bid to Scott Renfroe.

Some Republicans, including Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, said the outcome Tuesday reflected poorly on the governor, the chief backer of Ref C.

Caldara led the fight against the measure, which narrowly won.

"There is no question that this was not a good primary for Bill Owens," said Caldara.

Countered Owens' spokesman, Dan Hopkins: "Last year's election didn't exactly work out very well for Jon Caldara."