OR-3: Blumenaur predicts a big Democratic year in Colorado

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) told Oregon delegates on Monday that Colorado, the host state of the Democratic National Convention, was a state that was ready to vote Democratic after a long string of Republican voting.

“It is a sense of pride for me, looking at Denver compared to where it was 20 to 25 years ago,” Blumenauer said. “There is a process going on here turning this state from red to green-blue.”

Blumenauer said that increasingly progressive politics in the state had led to some dramatic changes in voting patterns. Eight years ago, Colorado was a state that had a Republican majority in the State House and Senate, a Republican governor, four Republican representatives (out of six), and two Republican senators. Today, Colorado has a Democratic majority in both houses, a Democratic governor, four Democratic representatives (out of seven), and one Democratic senator. Blumenauer said the change in politics has led to some big improvements in Denver and the state.

“Things have happened here over the last 10 years,” Blumenauer said. “They have light rail now. They even had to slowly take out parts of that destructive TABOR act; they had to say, ‘Time out, we just can’t do it. It’s too draconian.’”

Blumenauer also predicted a Democratic victory in some of Colorado’s biggest races.

“My friend Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs) is going to pick up a Senate seat,” Blumenauer said. “As for Marilyn Musgrave, we almost got her last time. Now I think she’s on her way out.”