Boulder County Democrats, GOP prep for midterm caucuses

Catherine Jarrett, right, a Republican precinct captain and a candidate for House District 11, and George Nowell, vice chairman of communications for the Boulder County Republicans, stuff caucus packets at the GOP headquarters in Longmont on Thursday. The local Republicans expect more people than usual to turn out for the Tuesday caucuses, which kick-off the election season. ( MARK LEFFINGWELL )

If Scott Starin is right, national issues like health care and the federal deficit will drive more people to the polls this November, spiking participation in a mid-term election that many see as a referendum on President Barack Obama.

Starin, the chairman of the Boulder County Republicans, said the first test of that theory will come on Tuesday night when the precinct caucuses kick off the 2010 election season.

"It's a big night for the county party because all the activists from all around the county get a chance to come out," he said. "I think this year, a lot of people are going."

Across Boulder County, schools, churches and other locations will serve as gathering spots for neighborhood precincts as both Democrats and Republicans elect delegates and alternates to the county, state and congressional assemblies to be held later this year.

Republicans are hoping to make gains, and Democrats admit that this year will be more difficult than two years ago with some voters growing frustrated over health care reform and the state of the economy.

"I think a lot of the concerns that people have are valid concerns," said Joel Davidow, chairman of the Boulder County Democratic Party.

Starin said he's been busy fielding phone calls from people who want to get involved in the caucuses, which serve as a stepping stone for would-be candidates to gain their party's nomination.

"By all the calls we're getting and the interest we're seeing, there's going to be a lot of people attending who have never been to a caucus before," he said.

While the Republican admitted there hasn't been a lot of interest among his party to fight for Boulder County seats -- historically a stronghold for Democrats -- he said there are growing expectations among the GOP for gains at the state and national levels.

Specifically, Starin points to the president's proposed overhaul of national health care as a catalyst that could bring out more voters and activists than normal for a non-presidential election year.

"This (election) is absolutely a referendum on the wasteful spending and the forced-feeding of the health care bill that the American people don't want," he said.

Davidow said his fellow Democrats will remind voters that Obama is trying to reverse a bad economy he inherited from the George W. Bush administration.

"The deficit is a valid concern," he said. "The difficulty is, (change is) not going to happen overnight."

He said Republicans are quick to dismiss progress made under Democrats.

"I'm pretty sure that things would have been a lot worse without the stimulus package," Davidow said. "But how do you demonstrate that? That, I think, is a challenge that Democrats have this year."

Davidow said he expects Boulder County to continue to vote heavily in favor of Democratic candidates this year.

"I'm not too concerned about losing seats at the county level," he said. "I think we'll be pretty safe at the state level, too."

But, he said the first rule in politics is, "don't take anything for granted," and said he doesn't count out a possible Republican challenger for Democrat Cindy Domenico's seat among the Boulder County commissioners.

Seven of Boulder County's 10 elected officials are up for re-election in November, and most of them -- including the sheriff, clerk and recorder, assessor, surveyor, treasurer and Domenico -- have said they're hoping to keep their jobs for another four years. Coroner Tom Faure announced he won't seek re-election.

Davidow said the most important race this year to most Boulder-area Democrats isn't local, though.

"The real immediate things for folks, I think, is the U.S. Senate race," he said.

Sen. Michael Bennet -- a Democrat who was appointed to the federal office last year after Ken Salazar assumed the interior secretary position in the Obama administration -- is fending off several challengers. First up is a close primary race against former Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff.

On the Republican side, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, former state Sen. Tom Wiens of Douglas County and Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck are vying for their party's nomination.

On Tuesday, both parties will take preference polls gauging support for each Senate candidate. That will translate into the number of delegates who are sent to county and state assemblies to support them. At the state level, a candidate needs at least 30 percent of the delegate votes to appear on the Aug. 10 primary ballot.

Seth Masket, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Denver, specializes in political parties, campaigns and state and local government. He said the caucuses are important to build grassroots support for candidates, and have the potential to knock out early contenders or give a boost to campaigns.

"It certainly can make a difference in a close contest," he said. "A candidate who does well in the caucuses can end up with the top line on a ballot."

Masket said there could be increased participation in this year's caucuses, but it will be driven more by state and national issues than local races. Most voters, he said, probably won't pay attention to the election season until after the state assemblies this summer.

"My impression is the people who tend to participate at this level are people who care about what's going on in politics no matter what," he said. "They're the hardcore."

Contact Camera Staff Writer Heath Urie at 303-473-1328 or urieh@dailycamera.com.