Elections: IndyBlog, Colorado Springs Independent

NRA is gunning for Morse

Pam Zubeck — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:52:47 -0600

This just in from Christy Le Lait, who's working to keep Sen. John Morse from being recalled:

A mass mailing funded by the NRA and coordinated with Basic Freedom Defense Fund has gone out to voters throughout Senate District 11 supporting the recall effort of Senate President John Morse and urging voters to join up with BFDF to remove Sen. Morse from office.

“Basic Freedom Defense Fund has released numerous statements to the media and on their website claiming to be a grassroots organization,” stated Christy Le Lait, representative for A Whole Lot of People for John Morse, the issue committee fighting the recall attempt.…
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Bill Elder wastes no time announcing run for sheriff

J. Adrian Stanley — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:46:00 -0600

Remember when there were breaks between election seasons? Take a moment to reminisce, because that's certainly not the case anymore.…

Want to support John Morse?

Kirk Woundy — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:51:00 -0600

As the effort to recall John Morse continues — and attracts big money on both sides — the El Paso County Democratic Party is holding an event where supporters of the Senate president can thank him and fellow local Democratic lawmakers for their "hard work and bravery."

Here are the details:

Morse, of course, has been a target since shepherding through a spate of gun-control measures during the 2013 legislative session. Signature-gatherers have until June 3 to collect 7,000-plus signatures in their effort to get a recall election OK'd.…

Election unkind to incumbent Councilors

Kirk Woundy — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:45:36 -0600

Now with another few hundred votes in — and, we would guess, only a few hundred more left to be counted — Helen Collins has opened up her lead over Deborah Hendrix in District 4 to almost exactly 300 votes (2,243 to 1,944). Andres Pico's lead over David Moore in District 6 has slimmed slightly, but still stands at more than 100 votes (3,767 to 3,652).…

Money streams in, and other Council campaign news

Pam Zubeck — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:31:01 -0600

In the most recent campaign finance cycle from Feb. 24 through March 10, candidates for six City Council districts in Colorado Springs in the April 2 election brought in more than $91,000.

As of Monday afternoon, the day the reports were due, here's a rundown of who raised how much during the period.…

Herpin to seek re-election

J. Adrian Stanley — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:27:47 -0700

City Councilor Bernie Herpin has announced he will seek re-election in the newly created City Council District 5.

Herpin already has two opponents in the race, Rev. Al Loma and nonprofit administrator Jill Gaebler.…

Councilor Tim Leigh will seek re-election

J. Adrian Stanley — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:38:03 -0700

At-large City Councilor Tim Leigh will seek re-election, but as a District 1 Councilor.

Leigh has been a strong supporter of Mayor Steve Bach and a strong opponent of Neumann Technologies, maker of pollution-control technology that Colorado Springs Utilities has contracted to use.…

Scott Gessler coming to Springs to talk elections

Chet Hardin — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:36:01 -0700

Secretary of State Scott Gessler has announced that he is taking his show on the road.

On Thursday, Gessler will be visiting the office of the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder (1675 West Garden of the Gods Road) from 2 to 3 p.m. to discuss what should be done in the future to strengthen the "integrity" of state elections.…

Maps tell the tale in Amendment 64 and 1A

Pam Zubeck — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:31:06 -0700

The colorful visuals are now in: The El Paso County Sheriff's Office tax increase measure passed in all but two precincts on Nov. 6, and the western part of the county was the most enthusiastic about it. Here's the map, provided by Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams.…

Democrats make inroads in state government; A64 passes

Bryce Crawford — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:32:00 -0700

Even before the conference room at the downtown Antlers Hilton hotel had filled, it was clear that the El Paso County Democratic Party was ready to celebrate — and election results on the national level certainly did nothing to dim that.

But it was in the state contests where the effect may be felt soonest, since victories in two local House districts are likely to help give Democrats control of that chamber in January.…

Grim times at GOP results-watching party

Chet Hardin — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:18:54 -0700

El Paso County Republican Party Chairman Eli Bremer did his best to keep the crowd upbeat.

In the ballroom at the DoubleTree Hotel, the Republicans had hung a stage-wide flag.…

UPDATE: Local Dems, tax proponents still looking good

Kirk Woundy — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 21:50:32 -0700

El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams has now released at least three rounds of updates, and with about 35 percent of precincts reporting, the local headlines remain the same: Democrats appear to be en route to important victories in House Districts 17 and 18, and both area tax measures look likely to pass.

If there is a new footnote, though, it comes from comparing our results with those from larger stages.…

Download tonight's results to your phone

Chet Hardin — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:18:38 -0700

The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's office has heard your demands, all you mobile-device junkies.

If you take a visit to the clerk's website, you will find a link to download the office's nifty new Election Night App.…

Local military vet may be barred from voting

Bryce Crawford — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:41:10 -0700

Yesterday, Denver's FOX 31 brought us word of Manuel Valenzuela, a Colorado Springs resident and military veteran who may be barred from voting.

Here's the TV station:

“We’ve been here since 1955,” said Manuel, who was born in Mexico, to a U.S.-born mother, and moved across the border with his mom and his older brother, Valente, when he was a young boy.…
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Ballot mix-ups have quick solutions — most of the time

J. Adrian Stanley — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:01:06 -0600

When Robert Dorrance signed up for all-mail ballots in August he was hoping to make his civic duty a little more convenient.

But the 31-year-old Democrat says his experience thus far has been anything but easy.…

One in five have voted so far in El Paso County

Pam Zubeck — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:59:39 -0600

Just a little more than 20 percent of registered voters in El Paso County have already cast ballots in the Nov. 6 general election, county Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams reports today. The turnout breaks down like this:

Here's the clerk's footnote:

*This is the more accurate denominator to use for determining turnout.…
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UPDATE: A blast from Lamborn's past

Chet Hardin — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:19:29 -0600

According to Catherine Mortensen, Lamborn's spokeswoman, the congressman is standing behind his vote: "Congressman Lamborn still believes that we do not need more laws on the books when the ones we have now are perfectly fine."

———————————ORIGINAL POST FRIDAY, OCT. 19, 3:10 P.M.——————————————

The campaign for Dave Anderson is leaning hard on the conceit that Congressman Doug Lamborn is a misogynist.

After Missouri Rep. Todd Akin uttered his campaign-hobbling profundity — “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down” — the Anderson campaign quickly jumped to tie Lamborn to his Republican colleague.…

Early voting starts today

Pam Zubeck — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:28:25 -0600

In case you're wondering why you haven't gotten a ballot in the mail, it's probably because you're not on the list to receive one for every election. You have to check a box that declares you in that category, and a lot of people probably think that's their status when it's not, says El Paso County Deputy Clerk and Recorder Alissa Vander Veen.…

Another case of one voter, two ballots

Pam Zubeck — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:58:44 -0600

If you somehow wind up with two ballots, don't think you'll get two shots at, say, defeating Mitt Romney or supporting Amendment 64. The first ballot you cast will count, and you might get turned in to the District Attorney's Office if you try to cast the second one.…

The money rolls in for House races

Chet Hardin — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:09:52 -0600

As we reported today, a lot of money has been flowing into El Paso County's two state House races.

In House District 18, which covers downtown Colorado Springs, and much of the west side including Manitou Springs, Rep. Pete Lee, a Democrat, is facing a challenge from Republican newcomer Jennifer George.…

John Morris picks up support

Chet Hardin — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:21:55 -0600

John Morris, the Democrat running for the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners in District 3, has picked up one perhaps-surprising vote.

Karen Magistrelli, the Republican political newbie who challenged incumbent Sallie Clark in the primaries, says that while she doesn't agree with Morris politically, she'll be voting for him in November.…

In endorsement, Denver Post only has eyes for Lamborn

Chet Hardin — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:55:10 -0600

Denver Post is too liberal, eh?

Would a liberal paper write this endorsement?

Congressman Doug Lamborn regularly ranks as among the most conservative members of Congress and is an ardent supporter of limited government, with the notable exception of national defense.

While we regularly disagree with his stances, residents of Colorado's reliably Republican 5th Congressional District have repeatedly rewarded Lamborn for his views.…
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More voices on Pulpit Freedom Sunday

Chet Hardin — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:11:34 -0600

This past Sunday, more than 1,500 churches across the nation took part in Pulpit Freedom Sunday. An effort organized by the nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, the movement was a bold denouncement by religious leaders of the decades-old Internal Revenue Service regulations that forbid churches from engaging in partisan political speech.

ADF released the list of churches with Pulpit Freedom Sunday late Monday afternoon.…

Regents debate tonight at UCCS

Chet Hardin — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:23:24 -0600

Tonight, students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will be hosting a debate between the four at-large candidates for the University of Colorado Board of Regents.

The regents race, as important as it might be — regents are charged with the "general supervision of the university" and, basically, all its funds — does tend to get eclipsed by the larger-profile races in a presidential-year election.…

Days are numbered for voter registration

Chet Hardin — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:21:48 -0600

If you haven't registered to vote yet, you better hop to it. The last day to register is next Tuesday, Oct. 9.…