denver and the west
Counties swinging votes
By Nancy Lofholm
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 08/03/2008 03:47:11 PM MDT
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At the other end of this Western Slope county, in Parachute, a parade of mud-crusted pickups and drilling rigs kicks up dust down the main drag on the way to the oil fields. A rib joint — one of the few restaurants around — is jumping. So is a gas station where uncomplaining customers line up to fill trucks with $5-a-gallon diesel.
Not surprisingly, Carbondale is heavier on liberal Democrats than Parachute — a bastion of more conservative Republicans. In the political color scheme, Garfield County would fade from blue to purple to red from east to west.
But trying to pigeonhole voters in this "swing" county is not as simple as some redneck versus hippie paradigm. It is a stew of energy workers, retirees, longtime ranchers, moneyed mansion owners, Latino laborers, committed environmentalists, avid outdoor-sports enthusiasts and middle-of-the road Americans.
Sprinkled throughout is skepticism of either of the two major political parties.
"It's not like the old days when it was just ranchers versus environmentalists," said Garfield County Democratic Party chairman Ed Sands.
Longtime Republican Party stalwart and former Commissioner Arnold Mackley said it's hard to get a handle on exactly who the voters are now.
"I went to a local restaurant for breakfast this morning and saw about 75 people. I only knew one," he said by way of example. "I think this election is going to be tight."
Forty-two percent of Garfield County voters are unaffiliated, and that category has been steadily growing. Even double-digit, real estate-squeezing and traffic-snarling growth hasn't been a boon to the major political parties. A decade ago, the county had 8,470 Republicans. It now has 9,634. Democrats had 6,565 and currently have 7,153.
In the last election, unaffiliated voters helped to elect every Democrat running for local office, except one candidate who lost the treasurer's race by a slim margin.
Garfield County, where independent voters have been lured to Democrats by the perception they have more concern for the environment, also backed Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter in 2006 and Sen. Ken Salazar in 2004.
Democrats attract dollars
In this election season, voters in the county seat of Glenwood Springs, where Republicans hold an edge, have donated twice as much money to Sen. Barack Obama's campaign as to Sen. John McCain's. The two Democratic candidates for county commission seats have outraised Republicans and
Republicans participate in a parade the same day in Parachute. Garfield County is one of several "swing" counties that will largely determine Colorado's electoral fate in November. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)set new records within the party for fundraising.
Democrats report another anecdotal first. Party members have long endured boos and catcalls in local parades, but this year, some longtime Democrats say they heard cheers at the recent Strawberry Days parade, something previously reserved for the Republicans' floats.
"It's a wild mix here," said Colin Szewczyk, a 33-year-old unaffiliated voter who abandoned the Democratic Party after moving from Chicago to Glenwood Springs. "It's an eclectic mix. You could be wearing tie-dye here and be the most conservative person on the planet."
Glenwood Springs construction company owner Mark Gould has been one of those surprises.
Gould became an independent last year after serving as
Click on image to enlarge chairman of the Garfield County Republican Party and chairman for a number of state and national district races. He was also one of the party's largest donors.
He turned his back on his longtime party over immigration. Onerous new regulations made it tough for him to hire workers.
But immigration is no longer the driving issue it once was in Garfield County, where a large population of Latino workers has changed the flavor of some towns and made Latinos the majority in some school classrooms.
Energy impacts a top issue
The energy industry and the growth and changes it has engendered are tops on many voters' minds. The few constants that thread through the whole county are cone zones, traffic jams, high rents and few vacancies.
The Interstate 70 corridor through the county has sprouted new industrial zones. Drilling interest on the other end of the county is making Carbondale residents nervous.
"A lot of people aren't happy about what is happening to the environment," said retired General Motors design engineer and three-decade Republican Al Swenson, who lives in Battlement Mesa and is calling the November election "a tossup."
For many oil-field workers who came to Garfield County from other states and consider themselves temporary residents, the energy issue is black and white when it comes to politics: Republicans want to promote energy development. Democrats want to shut it down.
"A great majority of the workers are hard-core Republicans because of policies relating to the energy industry," said Mario Pallone, an oil- field worker for EnCana.
He is one too but said he has not decided whom he'll support in the presidential election. His in-laws are farmers, and he said he believes Obama's record is better when it comes to farm subsidies. McCain is better, in his estimation, on energy issues.
Tom Doudy, a martial arts instructor and avid hunter who has lived in Garfield County for 25 years and was once Republican, has no doubts.
"I'm not voting Republican. I can tell you that. They've (energy companies) destroyed this whole valley. The environmental issue has pushed me to the other side," he said.
"I've always kind of liked McCain," he added. "But I'm too against the party now to vote for him."
All politics are local
Gould, the former county Republican chairman, said the local races could have a bigger impact on the future of Garfield County than the presidential contest. Democrat Tresi Haupt is not up for re-election, but the other two seats are contested. Republican incumbent John Martin, a former cop who sports a handlebar moustache, long hair and Old West clothing, is being challenged by a Democratic blacksmith from Carbondale, Steve Bershenyi. The seat being vacated by another former cop, Republican Larry McCown, is being battled over by Democratic Glenwood Springs lawyer Stephen Carter and longtime Rifle educator Republican Mike Samson.
The real battle, according to Sands and to Garfield County Republican Party chairman Milt Blakey, is for the unaffiliated.
Both said they will be gearing campaigns toward those voters rather than preaching to the party choirs.
In advertisements and public appearances, Republicans will hammer on Democrats for being responsible for high gas prices and for blocking more energy development. Democrats, on the other hand, will push responsible energy development, alternative energy sources, environmental protection and an end to the Iraq war.
Jeff Isaacson, a Silt resident who has a good finger on the political pulse through his travels across the county selling Italian ices at street fairs and other events, said he'll be listening.
"We cross party lines here. We vote for the best candidate. We are fed up by the bipartisan system."
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