Some folks can’t wait until the Super Bowl. Others anxiously await the opening of hunting season. For us, we enthusiastically anticipate the arrival of another political season, and the one we’re just now entering promises to be a doozie.

 

With Colorado’s precinct caucuses for Republicans and Democrats less than two months away – they’ll be held on Tuesday, March 16 – things are already starting to heat up. Locally, there’s no big news yet. The usual gaggle of Republicans are lining up to run for the District 1 county commissioner seat, and the other courthouse incumbents have set their sights on at least one more term in office. So far, the county sheriff, treasurer, assessor, clerk, surveyor and coroner have no formal challengers.

 

Where things are more spirited is on the state level. Our one-term populist – though not necessarily popular – Democrat Governor Bill Ritter announced earlier this month that he won’t seek a second term. We don’t know if this helps or hinders the gubernatorial campaign of our former Third District Congressman Scott McInnis of Grand Junction, who will probably go on to face popular – and populist – Denver mayor John Hickenlooper, the leading Democrat with eyes on the Governor’s Mansion.

 

Ritter was blasted a year ago when he appointed skilled but little-known Denver school superintendent Michael Bennet to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Ken Salazar when he was named U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Bennet will face a tough primary race against former state speaker of the house Andrew Romanoff. The winning Democrat will likely go on to face former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, a born-again TEA bagger.

 

In our Third Congressional District, incumbent Democrat John Salazar will again be challenged by Western Slope Republican Scott Tipton, though former Valley resident Bob McConnell is also rallying the TEA-Party crowd for the GOP nomination.

 

Will Colorado voters follow Massachusetts’ lead yesterday in dumping Democrats in favor of Republicans? Hang on to your hats, boys and girls – the games are just starting!