GOP's Steve Ward goes his own way

Candidate puts practical ahead of ideological issues

Lynn Bartelsand Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 24, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Dennis Schroeder / The Rocky/2007

State Sen. Steve Ward, R-Littleton, discusses legislation at the state Capitol in February 2007. The 6th Congressional District candidate is seen by some as an independent vote, but he says, "When you limit government, you still have to make it work."

Ward Family Photo

Steve Ward, left, with his wife Susan, daughter Jessica and son Justin.

It's red-meat Republican territory in Denver's southern suburbs, where campaign speeches are liberally sprinkled with talk of less government, lower taxes and growing the private sector.

But state Sen. Steve Ward regularly tells crowds in the 6th Congressional District about the good government can do, drawing upon his experiences when he was Glendale's mayor and an Arapahoe county commissioner.

"Parks, streets, water, that's what you expect - even as a Republican - from municipal government," Ward told a Highlands Ranch crowd recently.

It's not that Ward isn't conservative. He holds the standard GOP positions on abortion, gay marriage and the free enterprise system.

He just prefers to emphasize practical issues over ideological stances.

"A guy who calls you up when you're a county commissioner to complain about a pot hole in the road doesn't want a lecture as to why roads should be privatized," he said.

"One of the reasons (Republicans) are in the minority is because when we were in the majority we failed to govern," he said of the GOP loss of the state legislature. "When you limit government, you still have to make it work."

Other Senate Republicans view Ward as "an independent vote," said Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Centennial, the assistant minority leader. But his colleagues respect that, said Spence, who is supporting rival Wil Armstrong.

Even those who find themselves on the other side of issues admire Ward's service in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a colonel in the Marines.

Ward's Marine Corps determination is his main asset as he campaigns against opponents with vastly more money. For example, rival Mike Coffman has more than 18 times as much cash on hand as Ward does, according to campaign finance disclosures.

Ward has committed to a grueling regimen of daily, door-to-door campaigning, starting at 9 a.m. and stretching into evening.

In addition to his military service, Ward has been a businessman, working with real estate companies.

He is a graduate of the University of Denver Law School but has not practiced in many years.

Ward got his political start 20 years ago when he ran for the Glendale City Council because he was upset about unpaved streets and water quality so poor it killed goldfish. Eventually, he became mayor.

He served as Arapahoe County commissioner from 1996 to 2000.

He is proud of a project to widen Santa Fe Drive which had been the scene of multiple fatal crashes.

"There are few things more rewarding than widening a highway or making a safety improvement that saves lives," he said. "It's why I'm in government because you can make a difference doing the kinds of things you expect government to do."

Military lingo tends to creep into Ward's conversation.

"I'm going to pull the trigger on a huge mailing," he says, meaning he's going to send letters to voters.

But he also has an intellectual side. He reads The Wall Street Journal and The Economist - heavyweights on the conservative and liberal sides, respectively.

He also includes footnotes on his Web site and some of his mailings.

"I give you a fact; I tell you where I got it," he says.

Steve Ward

* Occupation/background: State senator, U.S. Marine Corps colonel who served in Iraq; owner of Mountain Bay Properties, a residential real estate investment and development company

* Residence: Littleton

* Age: 48

* Family: Wife, Susan; children Justin, 20, Jessica, 17

* Education: Bachelor's, University of Delaware; juris doctorate, University of Denver

* By the way: Rides his Harley whenever he gets a chance

* Three priorities in office: Iraq, energy, the economy

* Top priority for 6th District: Water, transportation

* Best way to develop Colorado's economy: "The federal government has to get its fiscal act in order; that will help restore the value of the dollar, which will help in the long run to revive the economy."

* Endorsements: "Most meaningful - from the Marine who served with me in Iraq and seconded my nomination at the Republican CD6 Assembly; most valuable - voters of the 6th Congressional District; least sought after - the Republican leadership who have failed the American public in terms of energy and economic security."

* Money raised: $78,251

* Number of videos on YouTube: None

* Touts: His military experience and history of getting things when he served as mayor of Glendale and as an Arapahoe County commissioner.

* Critics say: Thinks he's the smartest guy in the room.

* Web site: stevewardfor congress.com

• August 5, 2008

  5:36 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  CPAsheldon writes:

  This is what I really like about Steve Ward. He looks for the practical solution that can pass with the current governing body. He also focuses on spending priorities so that the essential items get done without raising taxes. He doesn't waste time or money on the non-essential items. He does not sit in a principled corner preaching his theories and beliefs. He gets out where the action is and gets an agreement on an issue where progress can be made. We need more like him in Washington. Let's elect him 6th Congressional District!
  Sheldon Harding, CPA

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