|  |
 |
|
Scott Tipton Joins Race for 3rd Congressional District |
Bill Hudson | 11/17/09
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Republican Scott Tipton, a Colorado state representative, announced Monday that he will challenge Democrat John Salazar for the congressional seat he has held for three terms. Continued…
State representative Scott Tipton addressing the Archuleta County Republican Women's Luncheon last summer. Photo by Glenn Walsh.
|
"With encouragement from people around our district — Republicans, Democrats, unaffiliated voters — I am entering the race to represent the 3rd Congressional District of Colorado," Tipton said in a statement Monday. He argues that voters are ready to turn out the Democratic majority in Congress and that includes Salazar, who has served three terms.
Tipton challenged Salazar once before, in 2006, but lost 146,488 to 86,930.
Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District includes nearly all of the western half of Colorado and reaches into the southeastern corner of the state as well. Continued…
Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, currently served by San Luis Valley rancher John Salazar. Colorado's other two Congressional Districts are also served by Democrats: Mark Udall, and Michael Bennet. Map courtesy Google Maps. |
Tipton will likely become the front-runner in a Republican primary that includes Martin Beeson, a county district attorney, and Bob McConnell, a retired lawyer and Army officer.
Tipton, who owns a Cortez pottery company, says voters aren't seeing any growth in jobs despite the Democrats expensive stimulus spending.
"I look around the 3rd District and I don't see the jobs," he said in a recent telephone interview.
 The contentious healthcare vote earlier this month — when House Democrats approved a massive healthcare reform package — "was the straw that broke the camel's back," Tipton said. "Now we're moving to a government-run health care system," Tipton argued. "That will be punitive. They are talking about cutting $500 million from Medicare. No one can look me in the eye and tell us how this will create any more efficiency."
Tipton says Salazar's support for some of those initiatives are out of step with people in his district. He said the race is about Salazar's voting record and Obama's agenda.
"John Salazar, in supporting these actions, is standing up for big government, but not the people of the 3rd Congressional District of Colorado," Tipton said.
Salazar is considered one of the "blue dog" Democrats who are more conservative than most of the members of their caucus. He voted for the healthcare bill even though conservatives warned blue dogs to "prepare to color your district red next year" if they supported it.
Tipton's announcement also comes in the same week that state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, backed out of the gubernatorial race, leaving the question of whether he was interested in the 3rd District.
"Josh is one of the people who urged me to run again," Tipton said, indicating he didn't expect Penry to join the 3rd District contest.
Salazar — a potato farmer and rancher from Manassa in the San Luis Valley, and the brother of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar — was elected in 2004 in a narrow, hard-fought contest with Greg Walcher, a Republican cabinet member for Gov. Bill Owens. Tipton tried to unseat Salazar in 2006, but lost by a larger margin than Walcher. Delta County Commissioner Wayne Wolf was the GOP candidate in 2008 and Salazar easily won re-election. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|