Democrat candidate for the newly-competitive 6th Congressional District and Denver state Representative Joe Miklosi is trying to send signals to his former boss, Andrew Romanoff, that he should stay away from the race. There have been rumors floating around that the failed US Senate primary candidate from last year has been looking at jumping into the 6th CD Democrat primary now that the district has been gerrymandered to vastly boost the Democrat registration.
In an attempt to squelch a primary battle with Romanoff, Miklosi has been bragging that he has been endorsed by all of the Democrats in the state House. State House Dems also hosted a fundraiser for Miklosi last night in a further effort to dissuade former state House Speaker Romanoff from thinking about running.
It all makes for an awkward moment for Colorado Democrats, and Miklosi himself. When Democrats took back the state House in 2004 it was thanks to the efforts of then-state Rep. Andrew Romanoff, and his top staffer, Joe Miklosi. Since then Romanoff has stepped on many a toe in the Democrat leadership with his nasty primary campaign against incumbent US Senator Michael Bennet last year.
Romanoff was bitter that Democrat Governor Bill Ritter had appointed the little-known Bennet to Ken Salazar's US Senate seat, after Salazar took a Cabinet position in the Obama administration. Romanoff felt that appointment should have been his after all of his work on behalf of the party, leading him to challenge Bennet in an expensive and vicious primary battle.
The race exposed deep divides in the Colorado Democrat Party, between grassroots activists who supported Romanoff and the party establishment, including Barack Obama, who supported Bennet.
If Romanoff decides to enter the 6th Congressional district race it could set up a repeat battle. This time it would be even more personal, pitting the former boss and top staffer against each other.
That's why Miklosi is working so hard to send very public signals to Romanoff that his entrance into the race would not be appreciated, and would be an uphill battle against a fellow Democrat…again.
Meanwhile, in an effort to distract the political world from watching the coming fratercide of Colorado Dems from Denver, Colorado Pols is trying to spread the false rumor of a primary campaign for Mike Coffman. Come on, Pols…if you're going to make up fake rumors, at least make them believable.
What was once great news for Democrats with the judge-ordered gerrymandering of CD6 is quickly becoming better news for Republicans. Either Coffman gets to go up against a no-name Denver state Rep who has never been in a competitive race, and who is struggling to raise non-PAC money, or he gets to compete with a Democrat limping out of an expensive and bruising primary battle.
Either way, Mike Coffman's prospects look better by the day.