Rick Enstrom to Challenge Max Tyler

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Jan 09, 2012 at 19:35:54 PM MST

Today, candy consigliere Rick Enstrom revealed his plans to take on Tyler. From KDVR:

On Monday, local businessman Rick Enstrom (R-Lakewood) announced his candidacy for Colorado's state House of Representatives, District 23.

"We've seen what happens when there is no check on the radical tax-and-spend agenda pushed by Democratic legislators. People lose their jobs and working families suffer," said Rick Enstrom, candymaker and newly announced candidate for HD 23.  "We must strike a new direction that clears the way for employers to create jobs. We must pursue legislative priorities that fund our schools and foster economic security for families fighting so hard to make ends meet."

Enstrom is an executive with Enstrom Candies and has previously served as a volunteer member of Colorado's Wildlife Commission and Great Outdoors Colorado as well as an EMT and member of the Highland Rescue Team.  He also served one term on the Mesa County Commission from 1978-1982.

"Rick is the right guy to serve in the state legislature," said Shelly Liley, district resident and mother of three children who grew up in Lakewood.  "He's always the first to offer his help and to lend a hand in the neighborhood, whether it's shoveling snow or grilling the burgers at our bbq's, Rick's there doing the work with us."

Enstrom is challenging Democratic incumbent Max Tyler (D-Lakewood).

Enstrom will likely enjoy a better-than-average name ID resulting from the boxes of toffee bearing his name. Still, there's just no way to sugar coat the numbers: Democrats retain a 4% registration advantage and former State Treasurer Cary Kennedy won the district with 54% of the vote in 2010.

In short, no matter how much voters like his company's gourmet chocolate, Enstrom's not going to win the numbers game.

That said, Tyler's never had a real opponent before, and the reapportionment process has given him plenty of new doors to knock - only about 25% of the old HD-23 is included within the district's 2012 lines. For all intents and purposes, then, Enstrom and Tyler will be facing off for what is a left-leaning and functionally open seat.

No word on which candidate will earn the coveted endorsement of Willy Wonka.  

A Candidate Once More: Brian Carroll Files for HD-28

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Jan 02, 2012 at 10:15:00 AM MST

The Lakewood Democrat staged a primary campaign against Representative Andy Kerr in a bid for HD-28, although Carroll made a rather spurious claim that he originally intended to run against Ken Summers and wasn't aware he was drawn into the same seat as Kerr.

Carroll dropped out of that race in early November, following pressure from high-profile Democratic players and LGBT activists. With no primary for Kerr, the stage was set for a general election skirmish with Ken Summers in HD-28.

The Colorado Reapportionment Commission, however, had another thought in the matter altogether: Kerr, Summers, and Rep. Max Tyler were all drawn into House District 23, paving the way for an eventual campaign between Summers and Kerr for Senate District 22. SD-22 was ultimately left vacant by the Colorado Reapportionment Commission because appointed incumbent Senator Tim Neville was completely drawn out of the seat.

Meanwhile, Brian Carroll's residence remained in HD-28, where the vet no longer had Kerr (or any other incumbent) to contend with. It stands to reason, then, that Carroll would jump back into a race for the State House: his campaign committee was reactivated on December 29th.

Carroll might be the most high profile Democrat living within HD-28, although attorney Chris Radeff and educator Camille Ryckman - who ran against Summers in 2010 and 2008, respectively - both reside within the district. Given that the South Lakewood seat leans slightly to the left - Democrats maintain a 3% registration advantage there and former State Treasurer Cary Kennedy won the district by 8% in 2010 - Carroll should prepare for a primary in the Democratic nominating process. That's not to say that Carroll doesn't make a compelling case for his candidacy: the Colorado native served two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the United States Army, after all. He only moved into Lakewood recently, however, so it's hard not to question if his roots are deep enough to represent the area at the Capitol.

Carroll (or the eventual Democratic nominee) will ostensibly have to face Republican Amy Attwood in November. Attwood previously served as an aide to Rep. Summers and made an unsuccessful bid for the Lakewood city council in 2009. The fact that Attwood lost her first campaign for a smaller seat might be indicative of a lack of political prowess, but we wouldn't count her out this early on. Attwood has to win this campaign to maintain any semblance of a political career; she just couldn't sustain a second loss. With that in mind, we suspect Attwood will stage the fight of her life in HD-28 and majority-minded Republicans will be all-too-happy to funnel money into the race if it looks like the former legislative staffer can win.

A race between Attwood and Carroll should make for great political theatre. Attwood is the picture perfect image of a country club conservative: she has two young kids and manages a small business. What better foil for one of the nation's first post Don't Ask Don't Tell servicemen running for public office?

Kerr Sets Sights On Senate; Where's Ken?

by: Jeffco Pols

Tue Dec 20, 2011 at 15:12:33 PM MST

From Fox 31's Eli Stokols:

DENVER -- Like their Republican counterparts, Democratic state lawmakers are now scrambling to adapt to reapportionment and the new map of state House and Senate districts.

On Monday, state Rep. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, who's been drawn into a House district that is now home to three sitting lawmakers, announced that he will be running for the new Senate District 22 in 2012.

Kerr, who'd have been term-limited out of the House in 2014, made the announcement Monday at the Belmar Shopping Center in Lakewood.

"The new map surprised all of us in Lakewood as much as people anywhere in the state," Kerr told FOX31 Denver. "Republicans complained about how they've been affected, but it's happened to some of us Democrats as well."

Republican Tim Neville was chosen by a vacancy committee to replace Senate Minority Leader Mike Kopp in S.D. 22, but because of changes to the district under the map, he's likely to lose his grip on the seat.

Kerr's decision will avoid a primary for his House District, which is now also home to Rep. Max Tyler, D-Golden.

Republican Rep. Ken Summers has yet to decide whether he'll challenge Tyler for the House seat or take on Kerr for the right to move to the Senate.

Kerr and Representative Max Tyler clearly worked things out behind the scenes regarding their mutual residency - term-limits made Kerr the logical choice to leave the House in favor of the Senate.

But what's Ken Summers running for? Like Kerr, Summers has just one term left in the House before being termed out. To win that term, he'd have to take down Tyler in a district that former State Treasurer Cary Kennedy won in 2010 with nearly 55% of the vote. That'd be an incredibly tough race, particularly because it would be Summers' last: even if he wins in 2012, the seat will be open in 2014.

It's that much more likely, then, that Summers will challenge Kerr in SD-22. Kennedy won that district by less than one percentage point in 2010, so it's that much more favorable for Ken or any other Republican.

Still, Summers hasn't indicated which incumbent Democrat he'd rather challenge. He told the Colorado Statesman that he was planning on making a decision as of last Friday, but that deadline (and Kerr's announcement) came and went without a peep from the south Jeffco Republican. We think that's part of his strategy: by waiting to declare his candidacy until just before session, Summers can prevent both Tyler and Kerr from gaining any ground in campaign fundraising. Democrats will pour money into whichever race Summers jumps into, but until he makes that call, he'll be able to keep donors guessing.

It's a smart strategy, especially considering that not one of the three Jeffco representatives are able to fundraise from lobbyists once the legislature convenes next month. By staying quiet, Summers helps to ensure that the real campaign against him can't effectively start until May.  

Max Tyler Elected to Replace Gwyn Green

by: Jeffco Pols

Wed May 27, 2009 at 12:08:02 PM MST

Unlike recent vacancies in Denver, which attracted numerous candidates for seats that are essentially safe, Max Tyler was unopposed and unanimously approved as Green's replacement. A small business owner and longtime Democratic activist, Tyler cleared the field early as some potential candidates chose not to run and others decided against challenging the popular former House District chair.