For all the talk about Colorado as a pivotal swing state this fall, Republicans have little to show for it in recent years. Republicans in 2010 had mile-high hopes to take the governor’s mansion, and the national party had counted on Colorado to join the tide that narrowed the gap in the US Senate. Instead, Democrats won both seats.
Should Romney prevail as his party’s nominee, Colorado could provide the biggest test of his ability to organize his troops and capture highly prized independent voters in a head-to-head contest against Obama.
Ryan Call, the new chairman of the Colorado GOP, concedes that challenges lie ahead, but he speaks confidently of delivering his state for the eventual Republican nominee.
“The pressure I feel is pressure I feel everyday,” Call said. “I’ve put this on my plate, and there are a lot of people, nationally and locally, counting on us to deliver victory in November.”
While national Republicans, aligned super PACs and the eventual candidate himself will be pouring resources into the state, much of the burden will have to be carried by state-level lieutenants who will have to organize volunteers and mobilize get-out-the-vote operations.
“There used to be a time when Republicans could win by appealing to their base. But with the state divided” among the two parties and independents, “that’s basically a recipe for disaster,” said Robert Duffy, who chairs the political science department at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins.
Colorado’s Latino vote could be of particular concern for Republicans. As in Florida, Latinos now account for a fifth of the state’s population and about one in every eight registered voters. But unlike Florida, home to a substantial population of Cuban Americans who generally favor Republicans, Latinos in Colorado are more likely to lean toward Democrats, analysts say.
