The staying power of one member of the Democratic House class of 2008 will be put to the test in Colorado's 4th District. The 4th takes in the lightly populated eastern quarter of the state and juts west to take in more populous Fort Collins and fast-growing communities north of Denver. The High Plains of Eastern Colorado have long been heavily Republican and this district voted for George Bush by 17% over John Kerry in 2004. The district moved to the left in 2008, when John McCain carried the 4th by less than 3,000 votes and the district elected a Democratic representative to the House.
The freshman representative in the 4th is Democrat Betsy Markey. Markey, a multi-millionaire software CEO, mother of three and former aide to ex-Colorado Senator (now Obama cabinet member) Ken Salazar, was one of the Democrat Party's great success stories of election night 2008. Running on a centrist platform, Markey received extensive help from the DCCC and two left-wing national groups, the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and EMILY's List, in her bid to unseat conservative firebrand Representative Marilyn Musgrave. Musgrave was a favorite of social conservatives for her championing of pro-life and anti-gay marriage proposals in Congress. Musgrave's dogged focus on her pet issues, however, failed to connect with voters in 2008. Musgrave's unpopularity together with Obama's surprisingly strong showing in the 4th and the barrage of money spent on Markey's behalf by liberal interest groups resulted in a Markey blowout. Markey defeated Musgrave 56%-44%. Musgrave's margin of defeat was the largest for any incumbent member of the U.S. House in 2008.
During her first term, Markey has mostly voted the Democrat Party line on the issues. However, Markey broke ranks with her party and opposed the controversial health care reform package. In recent days Markey has come under fire for running ads stating she opposed bailouts, when in fact she voted for several different bailouts during her first term.
Markey's large margin of victory in 2008 has not insulated her from a stiff challenge in her first bid for re-election. The Republican nominee to face Markey is State Representative Cory Gardner, an attorney from rural Yuma County in the northeast part of Colorado. Gardner's conservative bona fides (he touts his 2009 "Guardian of the Taxpayers" award from an anti-tax group) and fundraising prowess allowed him to clear what could have been a crowded primary field and to run unopposed in Colorado's August 10 primary. Both the DCCC and the NRCC have committed to spending in this district, showing the importance of this seat to both national parties.
Despite her large win in 2008, Markey is a prime target this cycle. Her views are to the left of most voters in this district. However, Markey is a fantastic fundraiser and she already enjoys a nearly 2-to-1 cash on hand advantage over Gardner. Markey can also probably count on help from the liberal pro-abortion group EMILY's List again this cycle. Gardner, for his part, is a strong candidate and with a Republican wind blowing against his back in an ancestrally Republican district he is probably the man to beat with two months until the general election.
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