[Greg Daily/Colorado Daily]

Jared Polis addresses the Second Congressional District Democratic Assembly on Saturday. Polis qualified for the primary election, but lags behind candidate Joan Fitz-Gerald by more than 20 percentage points. Polis vowed to continue his campaign.

With a whole lot of politicking going on, hundreds of Democrats lined up Saturday morning outside of Ranum High School in Denver to take part in the 2nd Congressional District Assembly and Convention.

Assembly/convention delegates decided on political candidates for the August 12 party primary, voted on delegates to send to the Aug. 25-28 Democratic National Convention in Denver, and voted for an elector to cast the district’s Electoral College vote in December.

The results for national delegate and elector races probably won’t be available until early this week, but how the primary ballots will look got much clearer Saturday.

NEGUSE WINS BIG

Democrat Joe Neguse, a candidate for the 2nd CD seat on the CU Board of Regents, captured 84 percent of the vote Saturday and will be the party’s nominee for the general election.

Gold-colored shirts and campaign signs of support for Neguse were visible like autumn aspens in the high country, and the candidate enticed several big names to speak on his behalf.

Colorado’s Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff was Neguse’s boss when he worked as an assistant at the State Capitol, but Romanoff recalled an impression about Neguse’s likely growth curve that suggested a bit of a future role reversal.

“I thought to myself, ‘We’re all going to be working for Joe Neguse someday,’” said Romanoff.

Britta Singer, former chair of the Boulder County Democratic Party, said she “never” endorsed candidates early in the process – until she found out about Neguse, and she said she endorsed him on the spot. Also, sitting 1st CD regent Michael Carrigan asked 2nd CD delegates for help “because I need Joe’s help” on the Board.

The campaign of Neguse’s challenger, Democrat Curt Williams, wasn’t as visible Saturday.

His sisters Catherine Williams and Caren Johannes offered speeches of support for his “Three A’s” campaign platform of improving Academics, Access and Accountability at CU. They also let the crowd know about Williams’ years of experience at CU, from his days as an undergrad to his present responsibility as Circulation and Media Services Director with the CU Libraries.

But Neguse won in a landslide, and Williams at 16 percent did not meet the threshold to automatically qualify for the primary. He said he had already agreed not to petition if he didn’t reach threshold, and said he will keep his word and suspend his campaign.

“I thank everyone who supported my campaign for a renewed University of Colorado and I wish Joe good luck on the Board if elected in November,” wrote Williams in an e-mail. “There are many issues facing the University beyond the issue of public funding, and I hope that the members of the Board do their homework and address those issues effectively.”

Neguse, a former CU Tri-Executive and Student Body President, said he was “humbled” by the support and “excited” to take his messages of enhancing access and affordability to the next level. He said he believes he has built a strong coalition of support and that 2nd CD delegates responded to his call for change at CU.

“I’d also hope that it was our energy,” said Neguse. “We were out there talking to anybody who would listen. We heard their concerns and ideas, and we shared our common ideas about how we can change the University. I think that resonated, and I’m just excited that the results came in the way they did.”

FITZ-GERALD TAKES TOP LINE

Democrat Joan Fitz-Gerald, a 2nd CD candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, earned 60.1 percent of the vote, and her name will appear on the top line of the primary ballot.

As the Neguse campaign flooded Ranum with gold-colored signs of support, Fitz-Gerald supporters wove white signs inside of the auditorium – and some wore white paper chef’s hats bearing her name before the assembly began.

Fitz-Gerald walked to the stage Saturday along with a small jazz band playing “When the Saints Go Marching In.” She started her speech by saying that New Orleans was once known as “The City that Care Forgot” because of its easy-going atmosphere,

But Fitz-Gerald has been openly critical of the administration of President George W. Bush during her campaign. She said the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans is now associated with the “incompetence” of the Bush administration, and said the post-election 2009 federal government will be charged with bringing back “responsible government that cares about all of its citizens.”

She renewed her call for Congress to use its power as the appropriating arm of the government and to cut off funding for the war effort in Iraq. She also said – as the daughter of a father who was injured in combat – that the U.S. must take care of its veterans and their families when the troops come home.

“We have an obligation to treat the wounds of war – both physical and mental,” said Fitz-Gerald.

She said in a press release that she was “honored” by the support she received at the assembly.

“The people who showed up today have re-energized the Democratic Party and I am proud to be a part of it. We will not forget the veterans, teachers, and doctors who have made this country great. Onward to August 12th,” said Fitz-Gerald.

Jared Polis, 2nd CD House candidate from Boulder, earned 39.9 percent Saturday, meeting the 30-percent threshold necessary to qualify for the primary.

Polis supporters sported blue “Team Polis” T-shirts, and some carried blue or red “Women for Polis” signs into the auditorium. He took the stage and offered thanks to people representing a number of categories.

Polis thanked “organized labor” for helping working families prosper. He thanked anti-war activists of the past and present, including his parents, for opposing what he called the “unjust war” in Iraq. He thanked environmental activists for realizing the dangers of global warming, and thanked the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community for its struggle for equality.

He also spoke about his co-authorship of the “Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.” The Polis campaign recently sent a small-magazine-sized Responsible Plan document out in the mail, and he said that the nation needs a specific plan that can bring “this war of choice to an honorable end.”

Polis didn’t win Saturday, but said in a press release that he was “thrilled” with the results.

“We are working hard and together, with my volunteers and supporters, we will continue to get our message of hope and opportunity out to the voters of the 2nd CD,” said Polis.

Will Shafroth, a 2nd CD candidate who bypassed the caucus-assembly process in favor of petitioning to get on the primary ballot, was at Saturday’s assembly. His supporters attempted to gather more petition signatures, and he gave a brief speech after delegates voted between Fitz-Gerald and Polis.

PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS

After the 2nd CD Assembly ended Saturday, the 2nd CD Convention convened, and the delegates focused on the Presidential contest between U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Two former Mayors of Denver – Federico Pena (supporting Obama) and Wellington Webb (supporting Clinton) – spoke during the convention. Both speakers took some time to explain why they supported their candidates, despite reasons why certain people might think they would support the other.

For example, Pena is a former (Bill) Clinton-era cabinet member, but he said Obama has the “God-given ability” to bring people from many walks of life together. The African-American Webb could have been expected to support the African-American Obama, but he said the Clintons have always been strong supporters of equal rights for people of all colors.

Obama supporters outnumbered Clinton supporters at the convention, and both Webb and Pena heard some anti-Clinton noise from the crowd during their speeches.

Pena said he has many friends who are supporting Clinton, and that Clinton has a true record of public service. Certain members of the crowd began hissing, and Pena reprimanded the hissers. One crowd member yelled at Webb about Clinton’s Senate vote in favor of authorizing the use of force in Iraq, and an audibly angry Webb said Obama has voted for every war appropriations package since the U.S. invasion.

But both Webb and Pena also pleaded for party unity as the November election rapidly approaches.

“We can be passionately for who we are for without destroying each other,” said Webb.

After the speeches, the convention separated into different rooms for Clinton and Obama supporters. The convention delegates voted for people to send to the DNC as national delegates or alternates.

More than 50 people in each room attempted to become national delegates for their candidate of choice, but the 2nd CD will only get six total delegates and one alternate.

Many district delegates, hoping for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a national delegate in Denver, campaigned for themselves Saturday. Certain candidates spoke to delegates who were waiting in line Saturday morning, printed literature was available, and the candidates gave short speeches during the convention.

Only a handful of convention delegates will move on to the next level, but in the case of Sarah Kihm, Obama’s CU Campus Coordinator, it won’t be for lack of effort if she doesn’t go.

“I worked my Democratic ass off for Barack Obama,” read the header on her campaign literature.