About CD 2

The new Second Congressional District is a whole new animal, unlike any district in Colorado in recent history. Even though it is numbered CD 2, more than half of the residents of the new CD 2 are unfamiliar to the district. The new Second Congressional District is really a combination of portions of the old Fourth Congressional District (Republican Congressman Cory Gardner’s district), Second Congressional District (Congressman Polis’ seat) and even Sixth Congressional District (Republican Congressman Mike Coffman’s seat). Sounding his concern for his fellow Democrat at an event in February, Fort Collins area State Senator Bob Bacon may have said it best: “The Second Congressional District is not as safe as it once was. Some people believe a Democratic candidate is a shoo-in. That is not true." (continue reading below)

The numbers tell the story. In reporting the competitiveness of the new district, the Colorado Statesman said, “Initially, when borders were finalized after redistricting last year, Democrats enjoyed a four-point advantage over Republicans among active voters, but that lead has dwindled to just two points, according to registration numbers released in February. The new data paints a more competitive picture of the 2nd CD, with 34 percent of active voters registered listed as Democrats, 32 percent registered as Republicans, and 33 percent unaffiliated.”

Since his election in 2008, Congressman Polis has endorsed highly unpopular Democratic initiatives, such as the failed “stimulus” bill, Obamacare, massive deficit spending and heavy-handed regulatory initiatives, and has spent a great deal of his time campaigning for liberal Democrats across the country. He has taken advantage of what was once a safely Democratic district, paying scant attention to the voters back home. Now, he will have to defend his record in front of a whole new – and much more politically balanced – set of voters.

A Magellan Strategies poll conducted in December 2011 demonstrated Polis’ vulnerability. Only 37% of the district’s voters approved of Jared Polis’ job performance. (Anything lower than 40% job approval is considered dangerous for an incumbent running for re-election.) 34% of voters said they thought Polis deserved reelection, while 40% said they thought it was time for someone new. 26% had no opinion. (Note: this poll was conducted prior to recent insider trading allegations published in the Denver Post that Congressman Polis used his perch in Congress to obtain information, unavailable to the general public, to trade in equities for his personal, financial benefit.)

A new, much more politically balanced district and an incumbent who has strayed far to the political Left combine to make the new CD 2 fertile territory for a small government, reform-minded challenger who fits the district. Colorado’s independent-minded, small government-oriented voters deserve representation that contributes to solving the great challenges facing our nation. Eric Weissmann embodies our can-do mindset.