John Salazar says he'll fight for water, agriculture, vets

By Julie Hutchinson, Special to the Rocky

Published October 8, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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/The Rocky

John Salazar, center

CORRECTION: This story should have said U.S. Rep. John Salazar served in the Army as an enlisted man.

Salazar family roots run deep in the San Luis Valley and that history forms an essential part of U.S. Rep. John Salazar's character. In many ways, his background is the reason Salazar says he upended a life raising cattle and potatoes in the high, arid land where his family has lived for almost 150 years to become a U.S. congressman.

"That's the reason I ran, because I needed to represent the valley and people and agriculture that I loved so much," said Salazar, the incumbent Democrat in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District.

Salazar says he will fight to "keep Colorado water in Colorado" and also is proud of his accomplishments over two terms to protect and improve benefits for military veterans.

A rancher and farmer, Salazar attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served in the Army from 1973-76. His background has dovetailed with his congressional assignments: he has posts on the Agriculture, Veterans' Affairs and Transportation committees.

Elected to his first term in Congress by a razor-thin margin in 2004, Salazar won re-election in 2006 with 62 percent of the vote in the huge 3rd District, which touches three neighboring states. Its voters are about evenly split with about 37 percent registered Republicans, about 32 percent Democrats and 32 percent unaffiliated.

The congressman said he regrets that the turbulent week in which Congress struggled to fix the Wall Street mess kept him from coming home to help with the potato harvest and visit with constituents. Still, Salazar said he's keenly aware that this year the economy ranks as the No. 1 issue on the minds of the voters in the district.

"I try to be very bipartisan, to address issues affecting the economy and western and southern Colorado and that's the way it is," Salazar said.

He voted against the bailout bill, objecting to the extra spending added to it. He also wanted money to be doled out in increments instead of giving the treasury secretary $700 billion in one payment.

Salazar tips his hat to his opponent, Republican Wayne Wolf, "for throwing his hat into the ring" but touts his experience as a key difference between the men.

"I've been here in Washington for four years," he said. "I have put the interests of Colorado above all else. I've fought for veterans, farmers, ranchers, water, the Western way of life, less government intervention. I like my independence and that's the reason I love my farm and my ranch and being out there in the open.

"That's the Western way of life I like to preserve, and I'm not sure what else Wayne can bring to the table."

Salazar shares an apartment in Washington with his brother, Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., elected to the Senate in 2004.

"It's really valuable to have someone who's working in the other body so we can understand what's going on in both bodies and strategize," Salazar said.

3rd Congressional District at a glance

* VOTER REGISTRATION AS OF MONDAY

Unaffiliated: 145,788

Democrats: 147,642

Republicans: 158,152

* DEMOGRAPHICS

Population: 686,453

White: 73 percent

Hispanic: 22.5 percent

Asian: 0.7 percent

Black: 0.7 percent

American Indian: 1.5 percent

Two or more races: 1.3 percent

Median age: 37.3 percent

High school graduates: 87.5 percent

College graduates: 27.1 percent

Median household income $62,833

John Salazar

* Age: 55

* Born: Alamosa

* Residence: Manassa

* Family: Wife, Mary Lou; children, Jesus, Esteban, Miguel.

* Political biography: U.S. House of Representatives, 2004-present; state House, 2003-04

* Web site: salazar2008.com

10 things you didn't know about John Salazar

1 He and his seven siblings grew up on a farm in the San Luis Valley that has been in the family since 1850. The ranch didn't have electricity.

2 His hero is his late father, Henry Salazar, a World War II veteran who stressed the importance of education.

3 He cooks a mean brisket.

4 He shaved his mustache after winning his first Congressional race in 2004, but almost immediately started growing it back.

5 He lists his biggest accomplishment in public life as the enactment of the Stolen Valor Act, which protects the integrity of medals awarded to veterans.

6 His favorite movie is Tombstone.

7 His hobby is hunting.

8 Favorite musician: John Denver.

9 He served in the Army, attaining the rank E-5.

10 He says the biggest accomplishment in his private life was marrying his wife, Mary Lou, and raising his sons.

• October 8, 2008

  9:36 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  pfwag writes:

  Global warming is expected to reduce Colorado's water by 25% in the next 40 years while during that same period Colorado's population is expected to double. Most of the population growth is coming from illegal immigration which is already costing Coloradan's about $3 BILLION a year.

  http://www.cohd23.com/Immigration.html

  Senator Salazar's solutions are to ignore illegal immigration and support water thirsty, corn ethanol with a massive tax subsidies (equivalent to about $1.45/G). Converting food for fuel has tripled the price of corn which is now causing increased prices throughout the food chain and causing people in third world countries to starve. At least that helps reduce the population explosion.

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