Tag: Co-04

Democrat Betsy Markey is leading Rep. Marilyn Musgrave by six to eight points according to internal Democratic polling, but her lead could disappear if Markey is unable to keep advertising on television after next week.

When Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave was running a close reelection bid against Democrat Angie Paccione in 2006 all of the big guns from Washington, D.C. came to help her. President Bush made an October campaign appearance with Musgrave in Greeley and the National Republican Congressional Committee helped with television ads blasting Paccione.

Three prominent Northern Colorado Republicans threw their support behind Democrat Betsy Markey today, including former U.S. Rep. Jim Johnson, former state Rep. Bill Kaufman, and former Republican Party Committee member Betty Ehn. Markey is running against three-term incumbent Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave for the 4th Congressional District.

Continuing a trend that started earlier this summer, Republican incumbent Rep. Marilyn Musgrave failed to outraise her Democratic challenger during the third quarter of this year, in the highly-watched race in the 4th Congressional District that has whipped up national interest from both parties.

As Colorado inches to Election Day, its status as a swing state has not dimmed — and Weld County, a traditionally conservative stronghold encompassing Greeley and much of the Eastern Plains, is being eyed by many as one of a handful of counties that could make or break the election for either party. Two years ago Gov. Bill Ritter stunned observers by winning Weld by a squeaker. This year, with a hotly contested congressional race and shifting party affiliations — fewer Republicans and more Democrats, percentage-wise — Weld is squarely in the spotlight.

There wasn't much disagreement during the second debate between Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and her Democratic challenger Betsy Markey in Fort Morgan on Monday night.

With Betsy Markey and Marilyn Musgrave set to butt heads — or at least exchange words — at tonight’s Fourth Congressional District debate in Fort Morgan, one of the mysteries of last week's debate has been solved.

FORT COLLINS - There was no clear winner. No knock-out punch or defining moment. In fact, it was a surprisingly cordial affair for two campaigns that have been in attack mode for weeks. The gloves were never off long during the first debate between Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and Democrat challenger Betsy Markey on the campus of Colorado State University Thursday night, as the two spent an hour showing voters their softer sides while carefully jabbing the other's character. It was a political waltz of delicate measure.

It's been a long time coming, but the two candidates running for the 4th Congressional District will meet face to face tonight in what will be their first of three debates. Easy money says it won't be long before the two take the gloves off. It has been, after all, one long negative race.

As Weld County goes, so goes the purple state of Colorado. The New York Times has some interesting video reporting up today that shows Greeley as the poster child of Colorado's new status as a swing state. Although the traveling Times video crew doesn't report much beyond anecdotal interviews with residents, their choice of Greeley as a bell-weather county in Colorado isn't too far off.