Larimer County Election, Colorado June 26.... I just saw the ballot...

[hlthe2b]

A good friend always discusses voting/politics with me prior to any elections, knowing that I am pretty current and a staunch Democrat/Progressive.

She showed me the ballot she just received. Not a single individual is opposed, from the Congressional Rep for District 2, State Board of Education, State Senate, State Representative, and County Commissioner. Two positions (District Attorney) and County Commissioner for District 2, have NO ONE running.

I looked at this and cried, How can this be? Can any Fort Collins, CO types explain this for me?

[classof56]

1. Hope someone can explain.

I was raised in Colorado (Denver area) and the first time I voted was in 1960, the Kennedy-Nixon race. Won't tell you which one I cast my ballot for (I was disturbingly conservative back in the day), but suffice it to say, I grew wiser through the years to the point where I'm now, one could say, disturbingly liberal. Thought I knew a lot about Colorado history, but recently, while researching a book I'm setting in 1914 Denver, I learned that women got the vote there in 1873. Yes!

Now about the Larimer County positions with no one running--I'll take a wild guess and say it might have something to do with the fact that nowadays, citizens literally lay their lives and reputations on the line when they step into politics. Not to mention the insane amount of money it takes to conduct even the most benign of campaigns. This has got to be the most discouraging time I've known in my 70-plus years, and it just doesn't seem to get any better. Perhaps a journalist with an inquiring mind will research this and do an article in, say, the Denver Post, since the RMN has gone the way of too much of the print media. I know some folks who live in or near Fort Collins, thus I have an interest in what goes on there. If explanations are forthcoming, I look forward to learning more. My old home state always has a place in my heart.

Keep the faith!

[hlthe2b]

3. Ahh, duh... It is a primary ballot. I dont' know what I was thinking... so Dems aren't contesting

with a primary challenger several of the positions and apparently aren't planning to run anyone in the November election against the RETHUGS in a couple of others. I guess that should have been obvious--why would they be issuing a ballot for an election five months away, afterall, but .... oh, well, duhhhh.

Still, it would seem like Dems could always find some candidate for each of the spots (and shouldn't primary ballots say DEMOCRAT--or REUBLICAN, as the case may be? I surely didn't see that on the ballot)... Anyway, my dumb question for the day and may not be my only. LOL

But, now I'm wondering where my primary ballot is for Denver.

[fizzgig]

2. the primary is at the end of the month

although i don't see a point in the gop even running a candidate in the 2nd cd. it was 1974 the last time that district elected a repulican. polis won 57-38 in 2010, which was the closest race in the last 10 years (or longer, i didn't go further than 2002). the dem candidate got twice as many votes, or damn near, as the republican in the four elections before that.