Presidential race compresses local 2008 campaign schedules

Dennis Webb
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
November 27, 2007

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An accelerated presidential campaign season next year also is having ramifications for people considering seeking office on far more local levels.

Colorado's political parties are scheduled to hold political caucuses on Feb. 5. That compares to March 21, 2006. It reflects the effort by Colorado, like many other states, to move up their election schedules to become more relevant in the process to determine the presidential picks of major political parties.

What it also means is that candidates for offices such as county commission and the state legislature can't afford to wait until after the holidays to get busy evaluating whether to run.

"If they're planning a run for local or state races they'd better start getting their name out now," said Becky Rippy, a member of the Republican Party central committee in Garfield County.

Democrats Greg Jeung and Steve Carter say they expect to decide in December whether to become candidates for Garfield County commissioner.

Dave Moore said he hoped to wait until after an April 1 recall election that is targeting him as Silt's mayor before deciding whether to challenge incumbent county commissioner and fellow Republican John Martin. He's hoping to defeat the recall attempt in resounding enough fashion that the outcome would help rather than hinder a race for commissioner.

"I just want to get a gut feeling from any negative residual fallout from the recall, if any," he said.

But Rippy said that with the caucus set for early February, Moore can't wait until April to make up his mind.

"If he's going to plan a primary challenge to John he'd better get busy," she said.



Contact Dennis Webb: 384-9119

dwebb@postindependent.com



Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO