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Udall starts his Senate bid

Congressman visits five Colorado cities to begin 4-day tour

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 27, 2008 at 8:34 a.m.

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Mark Udall shakes hands with Tom Mathers, a former Moffat County commissioner, as Udall's wife, Maggie Fox, gets ready to go into a town hall meeting Tuesday in Craig. Two Moffat County commissioners confronted Udall about oil-and-gas issues before the congressman and U.S. Senate candidate even made it into the hall. Udall flew around the state, officially launching his campaign against Republican Bob Schaffer.

Photo by Javier Manzano / The Rocky

Mark Udall shakes hands with Tom Mathers, a former Moffat County commissioner, as Udall's wife, Maggie Fox, gets ready to go into a town hall meeting Tuesday in Craig. Two Moffat County commissioners confronted Udall about oil-and-gas issues before the congressman and U.S. Senate candidate even made it into the hall. Udall flew around the state, officially launching his campaign against Republican Bob Schaffer.

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Democrat Mark Udall invaded three Republican strongholds Tuesday while officially kicking off his U.S. Senate campaign with a promise to work for the good of the state and nation instead of worrying about the left or right.

In all, Udall visited five cities on the first day of his four-day statewide tour shaking hands and even kissing a couple of babies.

"I'm going to use the L-word a lot - leadership," he said during a visit to Craig in Moffat County. "It's not about Democrats and Republicans. It's about are we going to come together."

Nearly 40 people showed up to hear Udall speak, a good crowd by all accounts in such a heavily Republican area, said JoAnn Baxter, a member of the Moffat County School Board.

"I'm one of the few Democrats elected in the county, and that's because the school board race is nonpartisan, you understand," she said. "But things are looking up for the Democrats here. We're more visible."

The other Republican strongholds Udall visited were Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. He also stopped in Gunnison and ended the day in Denver.

Udall, a congressman from Eldorado Springs, faces Republican Bob Schaffer, a member of the state board of education and former Senate candidate. Schaffer will accept his party's nomination at the Republican Party state convention this weekend.

Udall wore Levis, a blue and white striped shirt, cowboy boots and a jacket. He stressed his Western roots and talked about his late mother, a Colorado native, and his late father, Congressman "Mo" Udall, an Arizona native.

Udall's wife, Maggie Fox, accompanied him on Tuesday's trek. The two met in 1976 in Crested Butte, where she worked for Outward Bound and where he had several jobs, including shoveling snow off rooftops.

Udall touched on the usual subjects - the war, health care, the economy and energy independence - but each campaign stop centered around a theme.

A member of the Armed Services Committee, he talked about veterans during his stop in Colorado Springs. "We need a G.I Bill of Rights," he said.

In Gunnison, it was the environment, in Craig it was oil and gas, in Grand Junction it was health care and in Denver it was energy efficiency.

During the plane ride around the state, Udall pointed out some of Colorado's most famous landmarks. He climbed many of them during his 20 years with Outward Bound.

"There were a lot of years I spent more nights under the stars than under a roof," he said. "I thought it was time for me to give back, to protect those places."

At each stop, supporters praised Udall's record on the environment and energy.

"He is talking about weaning us from our silly 19th-century view of energy," said Karen Atkinson, 53, of Colorado Springs.

Hap Channel, a Democrat and a Gunnison County commissioner, said, "The energy issue is huge for me, although I am a bit disappointed with Democrats in general when it comes to health care."

Craig turned out to be the most lively event, with two Moffat County commissioners confronting Udall about oil-and-gas issues before he even walked into the meeting place.

Susan Mikesell, of Hamilton, asked Udall about immigration, noting, "You can kick them out, and they're back in two days."

She later said she asked the question because she is frustrated that none of the presidential candidates is discussing the issue.

Udall wrapped up Tuesday's events in front of about 150 people at Metro Taxi's headquarters in east Denver. He was ferried to the rally in one of Metro's green and white hybrid cabs.

"I know we were caught in traffic but we were using hybrids, so we we used a lot less gas," he said.

He praised the efforts of Metro Taxi to convert its entire fleet of 240 cabs to hybrid vehicles in the next four to five years.

Staff writer Tillie Fong contributed to this report. bartels@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5327

On the road

Today is Day 2 of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall's four-day campaign kickoff tour.

TODAY

* 8:45 a.m. Sterling, Salud Health Center

* 11:15 a.m. Burlington, VFW Hall

* 1:45 p.m. Trinidad, Trinidad State Junior College

* 4:45 p.m. Alamosa, Alamosa Family Medical Center

* 11:45 a.m. Fort Collins, Colorado State University

TUESDAY STOPS

Three of the cities Udall visited Tuesday - Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Moffat - are GOP strongholds, voter registration shows.

Republican Democrat Unaffiliated

El Paso County - Colorado Springs 155,039 70,677 110,541

Mesa County - Grand Junction 37,529 18,600 29,508

Moffat County - Craig 4,314 1,385 2,476

* Information: udallforcolorado.com

Comments

  • May 27, 2008

    11:20 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Iggy writes:

    Compared to the guy who thought sweatshops in territories that forced abortions and the war in Iraq were great ideas while serving as a lap dog to Tom Delay, Udall with his consistant support of alternative energy, spearheading efforts to both extract energy and protect the Roan Plateau is the far better choice for senate.

  • May 27, 2008

    11:55 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    Boulder Liberal Mark Udall, striving to increase your taxes.

    He calls raising taxes - community based revenue enhancements.

    Skip on down to the collective farm known as Boulder Liberal for Colorado Senate

  • May 27, 2008

    4:15 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jonah writes:

    jacka,

    I believe your SS is missing!

  • May 28, 2008

    9:04 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Troywithme writes:

    All Mark Udall cares about is helping unions, not individual Colorado citizens. Udall is out of touch with the people of Colorado and we do not need another Senator who supports the Employee Free Choice Act!!! The EFCA is deceiving and unfair to employees and only helps the Democratic Party!

  • May 28, 2008

    9:10 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    bwest writes:

    It doesn't really matter what Udall’s zip is this time around. This is not a House seat, he is running for STATE-WIDE office, and is going to attempt to show the nation just how far to the left Colorado has gone with his pro-union, green agenda. He will stifle economic progress by promoting the Employee Free Choice Act and stifling economic growth with his green policies.

  • May 28, 2008

    10:23 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    ParkerDem writes:

    I'm sorry I was to busy working while Mr Udall was busy camping and spending more time outdoors under the stars rather than under a roof. IT MUST BE NICE! Just another pampered, entitled LIBERAL telling the working class how to live!

  • May 28, 2008

    10:34 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jmorgansmith writes:

    The conservatives are angry and un-informed. My question is where do you all come up with this stuff. Is it just something you heard and are repeating or do you have any original thoughts on the matter? Give me some critical thought, not the same old political talk lines someone gave you to type. Oh, and stand up and take pride in you comments by giving your name and your affiliation.

    Jeff Smith
    Democrat
    Native Coloradoan
    Denver

  • May 29, 2008

    12:59 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    YellowCatRedCat writes:

    This comment thread is hilarious... full of people just regurgitating Wadhams' meaningless epithets.

    Jacka, your selfishness is showing--gross! Put that away now. By the way, he's not running for Colorado Senate.

    Additionally, the oft-cited argument that "green" energy is an economic detriment is false: empirically, alternative energy helps create tons of new jobs and opens up new possibilities for innovation. "Green" makes a lot of sense economically, and people don't allow themselves to see the connection. Want to pay $5/gallon for gas? $6? How about $10? It's right around the corner.

    Oh, and kudos to Lynn Bartels for writing a fair article about Udall for once.