Coffman wins this battle
FINAL SCORE: 52.8% for Coffman to 42.2% for Romanoff
So far, Rep. Mike Coffman is leading by 12 points, so we’re just going to go ahead and call it for Coffman. Those of us watching the battle for the 6th Congressional district had no illusions that this election would be anything but a victory for Rep. Mike Coffman. Not only is he just about the hardest working Congressman in the country, but when his district changed, he ramped up his outreach to groups that perhaps traditionally would not be considered Republican strongholds.
Take women, for example. He’s been a staunch supporter of women’s equality since the beginning of his career, fighting to erase gender-based healthcare coverage discrimination. He fought for better treatment of female victims of sexual assault in the military. Then, there are minority groups. He’s done a phenomenal job bridging language and cultural barriers among Hispanics and Asians in his district.
If Republicans want to learn how to win in swing districts – and there are few districts more up for grabs than CD6 – this is a model. Reach out to those who aren’t like you. Be a tireless advocate for all constituents, not just the base. Wear the leather off your shoes asking for their vote. And, to show why he deserved to win, here’s a super classy moment tweeted by the Duchess of Colorado Politics, Lynn Bartels:
Coffman thanks @andrewromanoff for running. I’m a better candidate because of it.” #copolitics
— Lynn Bartels (@lynn_bartels) November 5, 2014
Coffman has earned every vote he’s received and then some. He deserves congratulations, as does his team, for a job well done. To Democrats who would hope to unseat Coffman, this win is a big “Carpetbaggers beware” to all.