As Democrats Look West, Colorado Budges
The party has hopes of breaking the GOP's hold on the state this year. It aims to do likewise in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada in 2008.
By Ronald Brownstein, Times Staff Writer
September 28, 2006
DENVER — The colors are changing this autumn in Colorado — from solid Republican red to something approaching a strong tint of Democratic blue.
A GOP stronghold from the mid-1990s through President Bush's first term, Colorado has emerged as one of the Democrats' principal prospects for gains in the 2006 election. Polls show Democrats holding an edge in most of the state's key contests, including an open House seat and the battle between Democrat Bill Ritter and Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez for the governorship....
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Most Democratic strategists consider Colorado and three other Western states — Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada — critical targets as the party tries to expand its electoral map beyond the East and West coasts and the upper Midwest....
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The four states share, to varying extents, common trends reshaping their political environments. All have rapidly growing populations, increasing the demand for public services. From 2001 through 2005, Nevada was the nation's fastest-growing state, with Arizona ranked second, Colorado eighth and New Mexico 16th, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Latinos have increased their share of the population in each state since 2000, though their turnout in elections has lagged behind their growth in numbers. Still, with the Latino share of the population ranging from 43% in New Mexico to 19% in Colorado, politicians recognize that their success across the region depends in part on their standing with this slice of the electorate....
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-colorado28sep28,0,5420372,full.story?coll=la-home-headlines
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