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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — The prospect that it could have been a 14-year commitment contributed to a decision by Glenwood Springs native Scott McInnis not to run for the U.S. Senate, he said Wednesday.
McInnis said in a telephone interview that family considerations also played a major role in the decision, which he announced Wednesday.
McInnis had been considered a leading Republican contender for the U.S. Senate seat that fellow Republican Wayne Allard will be retiring from at the end of next year.
One factor in the 53-year-old's decision was how many years of his life Senate service might have consumed. A two-year campaign, if successful, would have led to a six-year term. But McInnis said that in talking to people around the state he realized one term would not have been enough, and he would have owed it to Coloradans to seek re-election.
"In your second term is where you really get momentum and can serve your state better," he said.
McInnis said in a telephone interview that family considerations also played a major role in the decision, which he announced Wednesday.
McInnis had been considered a leading Republican contender for the U.S. Senate seat that fellow Republican Wayne Allard will be retiring from at the end of next year.
One factor in the 53-year-old's decision was how many years of his life Senate service might have consumed. A two-year campaign, if successful, would have led to a six-year term. But McInnis said that in talking to people around the state he realized one term would not have been enough, and he would have owed it to Coloradans to seek re-election.
"In your second term is where you really get momentum and can serve your state better," he said.
McInnis had formed a Senate campaign exploratory committee last month. He said he had spent the last 40 days or so traveling the state and making hundreds of phone calls before coming to a decision.
He said family factors were a consideration in that decision. In 2003, when McInnis opted against running for re-election to the U.S. House, he talked about his desire to return to living full-time in Colorado. He said he and his wife, Lori, enjoy spending time with their parents in western Colorado.
McInnis treasures going on Saturday drives with his parents.
"There are those moments that you think about a little more when you start to think about a campaign," he said.
"It doesn't take much convincing to say, 'Gosh, why would you want to move out of Colorado?' And of course I don't," he said.
McInnis had hoped to avoid a primary battle if he ran for the Senate. He noted that presumed Democratic candidate Mark Udall, a U.S. representative from the Boulder area, is looking as if he won't face any primary challengers.
"Democrats, they think primaries are great for the Republicans," McInnis said.
In last year's run for Colorado governor, Democrat Bill Ritter avoided a primary battle before defeating Republican Bob Beauprez, who was challenged in the Republican primary by part-time Carbondale resident Marc Holtzman. Such challenges are expensive, and the criticisms a candidate faces in a primary can linger in voters' minds at the time of a general election.
"These primaries have been very divisive in Colorado and the record kind of speaks for itself. They do not result in a positive record for the Republican Party," McInnis said.
But he said he was prepared to succeed in a primary fight and the prospect of going through one wasn't a factor in his decision not to run.
Nor, he said, was the prospect of a race against Udall a deterrent. He said he got along well with his former House colleague, but there were clear differences between them on the issues, which would have been apparent from their voting records in Congress.
"They're pretty distinct and people would have had a pretty clear choice," he said.
Even though he never became an official Senate candidate, McInnis already had been coming into early criticism on everything from his lobbying for EnCana Oil & Gas USA to paying his wife with campaign funds after he had decided against running for re-election to the House. The Federal Elections Commission had dismissed a complaint filed by Democrats over those payments. McInnis said such criticism was to be expected, and also didn't play into his decision against running for office.
"They'd come after me for something, whether it's (being a) lawyer or lobbyist or being a combination of lawyer-lobbyist," he said.
If anything, McInnis was looking forward to the campaign.
"I guess there's a part of me that just likes the fight," he said. "On the other hand, man, life's going pretty well here in Colorado."
He is looking forward to continuing to be involved in water, energy and other rural Colorado issues of interest to him through his role as an attorney with the prominent Denver law firm, Hogan & Hartson.
"I really think that there are a lot of things that I can contribute to Colorado without having to go to Washington," he said.
He said he wouldn't entirely rule out the possibility of running for office again someday. But he added, "I think my role now in the future will be defined more off the ballot than on the ballot."
A former Glenwood policeman, McInnis was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1982 by 12 votes - 13 after a recount. He rose to the position of House majority leader before winning election to Congress in 1992. He served six two-year terms in Congress.
He said he looks back with fond memories on his political career.
"I feel very lucky to have had the time I've had" in public office, McInnis said.
Contact Dennis Webb: 384-9119
dwebb@postindependent.com
Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO
He said family factors were a consideration in that decision. In 2003, when McInnis opted against running for re-election to the U.S. House, he talked about his desire to return to living full-time in Colorado. He said he and his wife, Lori, enjoy spending time with their parents in western Colorado.
McInnis treasures going on Saturday drives with his parents.
"There are those moments that you think about a little more when you start to think about a campaign," he said.
"It doesn't take much convincing to say, 'Gosh, why would you want to move out of Colorado?' And of course I don't," he said.
McInnis had hoped to avoid a primary battle if he ran for the Senate. He noted that presumed Democratic candidate Mark Udall, a U.S. representative from the Boulder area, is looking as if he won't face any primary challengers.
"Democrats, they think primaries are great for the Republicans," McInnis said.
In last year's run for Colorado governor, Democrat Bill Ritter avoided a primary battle before defeating Republican Bob Beauprez, who was challenged in the Republican primary by part-time Carbondale resident Marc Holtzman. Such challenges are expensive, and the criticisms a candidate faces in a primary can linger in voters' minds at the time of a general election.
"These primaries have been very divisive in Colorado and the record kind of speaks for itself. They do not result in a positive record for the Republican Party," McInnis said.
But he said he was prepared to succeed in a primary fight and the prospect of going through one wasn't a factor in his decision not to run.
Nor, he said, was the prospect of a race against Udall a deterrent. He said he got along well with his former House colleague, but there were clear differences between them on the issues, which would have been apparent from their voting records in Congress.
"They're pretty distinct and people would have had a pretty clear choice," he said.
Even though he never became an official Senate candidate, McInnis already had been coming into early criticism on everything from his lobbying for EnCana Oil & Gas USA to paying his wife with campaign funds after he had decided against running for re-election to the House. The Federal Elections Commission had dismissed a complaint filed by Democrats over those payments. McInnis said such criticism was to be expected, and also didn't play into his decision against running for office.
"They'd come after me for something, whether it's (being a) lawyer or lobbyist or being a combination of lawyer-lobbyist," he said.
If anything, McInnis was looking forward to the campaign.
"I guess there's a part of me that just likes the fight," he said. "On the other hand, man, life's going pretty well here in Colorado."
He is looking forward to continuing to be involved in water, energy and other rural Colorado issues of interest to him through his role as an attorney with the prominent Denver law firm, Hogan & Hartson.
"I really think that there are a lot of things that I can contribute to Colorado without having to go to Washington," he said.
He said he wouldn't entirely rule out the possibility of running for office again someday. But he added, "I think my role now in the future will be defined more off the ballot than on the ballot."
A former Glenwood policeman, McInnis was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1982 by 12 votes - 13 after a recount. He rose to the position of House majority leader before winning election to Congress in 1992. He served six two-year terms in Congress.
He said he looks back with fond memories on his political career.
"I feel very lucky to have had the time I've had" in public office, McInnis said.
Contact Dennis Webb: 384-9119
dwebb@postindependent.com
Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO
