Congressional District Newsletter

This week we look at Colorado's 4th congressional district, a largely rural district that generally leans Republican. The incumbent, however, is a Freshman democrat, Betsy Markey, the first democrat to hold the seat since 1972. Here is the Newsletter:


COLORADO’S 4th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

District Background

Colorado’s 4th Congressional District encompasses the eastern part of the state and consists mostly of rural areas, with the occasional city such as Fort Collins and Greeley. According to the 2000 US Census, the district’s population lies around 614,466; about 79% white, with minorities, mostly Hispanic, making up the remainder. About 14% speak a language other than English primarily. The median household income is $43,389; about 1.8% makes $200,000 or more annually. The workforce is made up approximately 60% white collar, 26% blue collar, with the remaining 14% in the service industry. 29% reported having a bachelor’s degree, with 10.1% having some form of graduate education. This appears to be a younger district, with 26.1% under the age of 18 and only 10.4% over the age of 65.[1]

In 2009, the 4th District was responsible for over 540 applications to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) which led to 240 approved contracts and over 161,682 total acres being treated. These tracts of land were introduced to such practices as superior irrigation management as well as livestock grazing and waste management. Similarly 4 farms totaling over 370 acres were preserved solely for use in agriculture through easements under the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP). These statistics are among the highest in any Coloradoan district, suggesting that clean agriculture represents a significant interest in the 4th District.[2] There are a large amount of federal employees in agricultural areas, with a large number especially in Larimer County.[3] 4.9% of employed residents of Colorado are involved in construction, which is the 4th highest state nationwide for percent of its workforce in residential construction.[4] The 4th District contains 56,022 veterans, or over 9.1% of the population[5], which is a significant voting bloc.

In 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the city of Fort Collins received $18.1 million in funding for the development of a smart-grid energy management system. The system includes almost 80,000 installations of smart thermostats, air conditioners and water heaters in homes.[6] In addition Fort Collins has instituted a Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Rebate Program, rewarding businesses that commit to utilize improvements that reduce electrical bills and encourage energy efficiency.[7] The 4th District has a variety of alternative energy companies, such as Ascent Solar and Solix Biofuels. The efforts of the district to improve both efficiency from current energy sources as well as exploration of alternative energy sources suggest that energy plays a key role in the politics of the area.


2010 Midterm Election

Electoral History

The 4th District of Colorado generally leans republican, and narrowly voted for John McCain in the 2008 presidential race, and voted for George W. Bush with a landslide 17 points in the 2004 race. In 2008, Betsy Markey supplanted three-term republican incumbent Marilyn Musgrave for the U.S. Representative seat. She won by 41,000 votes, or 12.4 percentage points.[8] Before Markey won in 2008, the seat had been solidly republican since the 1972.[9]

The Candidates

Incumbent:
· Betsy Markey (D) – Markey holds degrees from the University of Florida and American University, and has worked in the Treasury and State Department in Washington, D.C. She worked as the Director of Computer Security Policy and Training in the State Department, where she held a top secret security clearance. Markey has also owned a small business.

Challengers:
· Cory Gardner (R) – Gardner graduated summa cum laude from Colorado State University where he also earned his law degree. He worked as a Representative in the Colorado State House of Representatives. He worked as General Counsel and Legislative Director for Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO) before becoming a Colorado State Representative.
· Tom Lucero (R) – Lucero is a small business owner who prides himself on his conservative values such as fiscal responsibility, 2nd Amendment rights, person freedom, and patriotism. He served 11 years on the Board of Regents and worked to expand the teaching of “American history, values, and texts.”
· Dean Madere (R) – Madere is a middle class citizen who has not held elected office, but participated in the Tax Day Tea Party and organized the Loveland 912 Project. He is driven to participate in public service on behalf of the average frustrated and concerned American citizen.
· Greg Brophy (R) – Brophy grew up in Colorado and graduated from Colorado State University for animal sciences. He managed his own farm after college and got involved in state politics. He served in the House of Representatives for a couple years before entering the Senate.

On the Issues

Betsy Markey (D) -
· Agriculture: Markey is a member of the House Agricultural Committee and values agriculture and U.S. farmers and ranchers. She believes in supporting small businesses and beginning farmers, as well as encouraging constituents to buy local food in order to cut down shipping costs and improve accountability for the quality of food.
· Economic Growth & Fiscal Discipline: In Congress Markey supported pay-as-you-do budgeting, which required any new government spending to be offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget. She believes in creating jobs and rebuilding the economy.[10]

Cory Gardner (R) -
· Agriculture: As one of the top economic drives in the state, agriculture is a high priority for Gardner. He serves on the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Livestock Committee and supports “opening new markets, creating value added opportunities, furthering renewable energy development, and continued advancements in crop technologies.”
· Water: Garner believes in protecting water rights, water right holders, and Colorado water law. There is growing demand for Colorado’s water, and the needs of water users needs to be balanced with the needs of the environment and recreation.[11]

Tom Lucero (R) -
· Jobs & The Economy: Government is standing in the way of the economy, and is preventing investment and job creation. Small businesses are vitally important to the economy, and leaders in Washington need to understand this perspective.
· Federal Spending & National Debt: Out of control spending needs to be stopped, and there needs to be greater accountability and transparency in the budget process. Lucero promises to work to enact reforms to cut down on government waste and reduce the size of the federal government.[12]

Dean Madere (R) -
· Proper Role of Government: Madere believes in small government and limited government, as the framers of the Constitution intended. It is not the role of the government to get involved in every issue, and should stay within its role as spelled out in the Constitution.
· Energy: There should be open competition between all forms of energy, and the government should not tell states how they should produce or use energy.[13]

Greg Brophy (R) -
· Limited Government, Personal Responsibility, Protection of private property rights, and Fiscal Responsibility[14]


[1] http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=district-2010-CO-04
[2] US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/news/pas/Publications/FactSheets/2009%20Fact%20Sheets/Congressional_Dist09.pdf
[3] State of Colorado http://www.few.org/docs/legislative/map/Colorado.pdf
[4] National Association of Home Builders http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=734&genericContentID=65865&channelID=311
[5] CQ Politics
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=district-2010-CO-04
[6] Northern Colorado Business Report http://www.ncbr.com/article.asp?id=102722
[7] City of Fort Collins http://www.fcgov.com/conservation/biz-eep.php
[8] CQPolitics – http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=district-2010-CO-04
[9] http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100316/LOVELAND0102/303160009/1192/LOVELAND/Another+poll+shows+majority+of+4th+Congressional+District+voters+oppose+Democrats++health+plan
[10] “Betsy Markey for Congress – Issues” http://www.markeyforcongress.com/
[11] Cory Gardner – Issues http://corygardner.com/issues
[12] Tom on the Issues - http://www.lucero2010.com/Issues.aspx
[13] Dean’s Position on the Issues - http://www.deanmadere.org/issues
[14] Greg Brophy – http://www.gregbrophy.net/