Markey defeats Musgrave in the 4th
Most bitterly fought race in state's congressional delegation marked by negative campaigning
By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published November 5, 2008 at 1:29 a.m.
Photo by Dennis Schroeder © The Rocky
Betsy Markey, celebrates in her room at the at Marriot Hotel Ballroom in Ft. Collins, CO Tuesday Nov. 4 2008. Markey is running in the 4th congrsssional district against Marilyn Musgrave. (PHOTO/ DENNIS SCHROEDER/ ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) **
Marilyn Musgrave
Democrat Betsy Markey defeated three-term Republican U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave in the most bitterly contested congressional race in Colorado.
Markey's victory in the 4th Congressional District, a seat held by the GOP since 1972, reflects a changing of the guard in Washington, D.C.
"Betsy has spent every day for the last year and a half talking to voters, connecting with the people of the 4th Congressional District," said a jubilant Ben Marter, Markey's campaign spokesman.
"This election has been at times personal, but ultimately it was about ideas," he said.
"This victory was hard earned, and it belongs to all of you," Markey told a group of supporters at the Fort Collins Marriott.
Markey, a Fort Collins businesswoman making her first run at public office, worked as a regional director for U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., before she entered the race. She campaigned on the promise of listening to people's concerns, being accessible to constituents and applying her business sense in Capitol Hill.
Robert Duffy, chairman of the Political Science Department at Colorado State University, said Markey was a disciplined candidate who ran a good campaign.
"She raised the money that she needed to raise; she didn't make any mistakes," he said. "She's the sort of Democrat who can win in this sort of district: somebody who comes across as not excessively ideological, somebody who comes across as nice."
Musgrave, on the other hand, is a polarizing figure because of her social agenda early in her career in Congress, he said. Her efforts to rebrand herself as a more moderate lawmaker who reached across the aisle failed, he added.
The battle for the 4th District, which covers much of northern and eastern Colorado, was waged with vicious campaign ads from both candidates and outside groups gunning for Musgrave.
"In previous elections, the efforts (to oust Musgrave) had just fallen a little too short," said Ed Yoon, Colorado and New Mexico campaign manager for Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, which knocked on 83,000 doors in the 4th District and spent about $1.7 million to unseat Musgrave.
"This time around, we really came in and made a difference with a very strategic campaign," he said.
Yoon said his group singled out Musgrave for her "atrocious record" on conservation issues.
But Musgrave has had a big target on her back since she sponsored a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, facing off against tough challengers and an onslaught of attack ads.
During the campaign, Markey accused Musgrave of focusing on wedge issues, such as gay marriage and immigration, while her constituents back home struggled with kitchen-table concerns like the economy. Markey repeatedly tried to link Musgrave to the policies of President Bush.
The race between Musgrave and Markey was an all out war of negative advertising.
For months, the two candidates clogged the TV airwaves with personal attacks. At one point, they even filed criminal complaints against one another over the claims in some of the ads.
The congressional committees of both parties spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the race, and outside groups, such as Denfenders, poured millions, primarily in anti-Musgrave advertising.
When the Republican congressional committee cancelled half of its TV advertising support for Musgrave in the final stretch of the race, many predicted that her campaign was doomed.
The Greeley Tribune contributed to this report.
No fourth term
Highlights of U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's career in Congress:
* In 2003 and in 2004 sponsored constitutional amendments to restrict marriage to the union of one man and one woman.
* One of nine Republicans to vote against a White House-backed $400 billion Medicare prescription drug bill, also in 2003.
* Partnered with Democrats in 2006 to block the expansion of the Army's Pinon Canyon maneuver site and again in 2007 to designate Rocky Mountain National Park as a wilderness area.
*Voted against the $700 billion federal bailout last month.
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November 5, 2008
2:35 a.m.
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TimeLord writes:
This race brought to light the compelling need to be able to insert different ads for different TV markets. Never again should we have to suffer through 5 ads an hour for candidates we'll never vote on; it is already more suffering than anyone should have to bear putting up with the statewide and national races.
November 5, 2008
5:02 a.m.
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GK writes:
Good ridance to that raging homophobe!
November 5, 2008
5:50 a.m.
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LockeRobster writes:
More than any other race in the state, this one tells the story about the current state of rejection of the GOP. A Democrat should pretty much never be able to win election in this district (I live in it), and yet here we have Markey winning over Musgrave, when Musgrave had even toned down her politics enough to get the endorsements of the newspapers throughout the district for the first time ever.
November 5, 2008
6:41 a.m.
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oceanview78382 writes:
Musgrave was horrible - hopefully this is the political grave for her.
To Musgrave - Don't run for anything else you egotistical divider- you're bad for this country. Give others a chance.
By the way I voted in the GOP primary for Ron Paul, in case you ASSume I'm a Democrat.
November 5, 2008
6:57 a.m.
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bjones73 writes:
What a negative lady -
Thank goodness she's gone and I don't even live in this district.
Her ads were horrible.
We don't need the negativity of Marilyn Musgrave in this world...
Now go deep into a hole and don't come out.
November 5, 2008
7:36 a.m.
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uncledave writes:
Hopefully Ms. Musgrave learned an important lesson the hard way. Colorado is not about hate and negativity. With any luck we will hear no more from her. May her political career rest in peace.
November 5, 2008
7:51 a.m.
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ifyem writes:
The witch has finally been sent home...Looking for a job Musgrave?? I think McDonald's is hiring!!
November 5, 2008
7:55 a.m.
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ai3fan writes:
In Colorado and the US elections are once again about "spending" money. (usually someone else's). You think the media likes that income?
Good luck Markley.
God bless our state. Whoops! probably can't say that anymore.
November 5, 2008
8:01 a.m.
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chizman69 writes:
Great day that Musgrave isn't in office anymore. Great day for Colorado
November 5, 2008
8:05 a.m.
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linderkb writes:
From what I have heard from relatives living in rural northeastern Colorado, they thought Ms. Musgrave served them well. I hope Ms. Markey does the same. Witch? Go in a hole and never come out? All this from people who thought Ms. Musgrave was too negative. I suggest you lead by example.
November 5, 2008
8:18 a.m.
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ActualThinker writes:
Hopefully the long term effect of this year is the end of Rove style politics. Musgrave, Schaeffer, McCain, and Hagan in North Carolina went through some awful tactics to try and win votes and it blew up in their face. Pointing out negatives with someones policies is necessary but when you can't stick to the issues hopefully voters see that and you lose, and thats what happened last night.
November 5, 2008
8:33 a.m.
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Spencer writes:
now all the marriages will be gay
November 5, 2008
8:43 a.m.
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Shaupeen writes:
Well said people. Unless Spencer is serious. Then, well said, everyone but Spencer.
Musgrave needs to take this personally. People are tired of her blind hatred toward people who are different than her. Voters in that district sent a message, and I hope she doesn't forget it.
November 5, 2008
8:49 a.m.
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Heidi writes:
linderkb : "Witch? Go in a hole and never come out? All this from people who thought Ms. Musgrave was too negative. I suggest you lead by example."
I was thinking the same thing!
November 5, 2008
9:12 a.m.
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Cowboy63 writes:
Well. we'll see how it goes. The Democrats are in full control in the State and will have to step up immediately. If it just turns into more of the same - there's no reason not to give the whole state to Republicans in 2010 and see what they do with it.
November 5, 2008
9:24 a.m.
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Coffee_Mug writes:
Spencer writes:
now all the marriages will be gay
Does that scare you? My wife and have been happily married for 12 years. What effect will a gay marriage have on you? Are you that homophobic or are you still trying to decide what orientation you are?
November 5, 2008
9:24 a.m.
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jersey writes:
GK: My sentiments exactly. Try as I may I could not bring myself to vote for either one of them. Never in my life have I've ever seen so much mudslinging, accuations, back stabbing and pure down right nastiness by both of them in veiling their true platforms. Even though our right to vote in this country is a privilege not to be taken lightly, I've always been a firm believer in an uneducated vote is more damaging than one not casted at all. Good riddance!
November 5, 2008
10:37 a.m.
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psu96 writes:
heidi and linder kb,
the people that said she was too negative didn't post anything hateful about musgrave, the people that did post hate towards her didn't say anything about her being too negative...NICE SPIN!!!
November 5, 2008
1:12 p.m.
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Heidi writes:
psu, it wasn't a spin. This is the comment that I was referring to:
bjones73 writes:
"What a negative lady -
Thank goodness she's gone and I don't even live in this district.
Her ads were horrible.
We don't need the negativity of Marilyn Musgrave in this world...
Now go deep into a hole and don't come out."
November 5, 2008
1:49 p.m.
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Spencer writes:
I was totally joking. I support gay marriage. To each his own. (really you thought someone would believe that all marriages would be gay? Lighten up)
November 5, 2008
1:56 p.m.
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Heidi writes:
Spencer,
I took your statement as a joke. I think a lot of people are a little sensitive right now. And understandably so!
November 5, 2008
2:27 p.m.
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Spencer writes:
It was glassguy and not you Heidi that jumped my comment. I guess I should have paid more attention to his name.
November 5, 2008
2:36 p.m.
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Heidi writes:
Spencer,
I didn't think your comment was directed at me. I responded to you because I thought about telling glassguy earlier that you were probably only joking.