Chris Gates Q&A

We’re happy to bring you our third Q&A today, and this time we move to the Democratic side of the fence. State Democratic Party Chair Chris Gates has answered our 11 questions and has agreed to answer your questions throughout the day. To ask a question, click on the COMMENTS link at the end of this post and ask away; Chris will check in periodically throughout the day on Tuesday to answer your questions.

[After you've read this, check our other Q&A's with Republican gubernatorial candidates Marc Holtzman and Mike Coffman.]

But first, we ask that you keep a couple of things in mind:

1. Please be gracious. Chris doesn’t have to take time out of his day to do this, so please respect the fact that he is making himself available. Whether you like him or not, whether you agree with him or not, please be respectful in your comments and questions.

2. He’s not going to give away the Democrats’ strategy just because you asked, so try to stick to questions that are fair to ask him to answer. Don’t ask, for example, what seats he thinks the Dems will target in 2006.

With that said, here are our 11 Questions with Chris Gates:

1. Let’s start with the obvious question: what did Colorado do in 2004 that the rest of the country didn’t in allowing Democrats to be so successful?

Our story is actually pretty simple. We beat the GOP here with better mechanics, better message, more money and better candidates. They were over-confident; we were hungry. They complained about campaign finance reform, we embraced the new laws and raised more money from small donors. They fielded uncertain candidates; we nominated leaders. They talked about fringe social issues; we talked about the real issues that are faced by Colorado's working families. They bickered with each other, and we came together with a shared commitment to winning. It was a great year for Colorado Democrats.

2. Despite the Democrats’ success, what needs to be done differently or better in 2006? What are you going to do differently if re-elected?

For a start, we'll work hard to strengthen our county parties; we'll improve our voter file operation (which has to be an ongoing, never-ending effort); we'll work to register more Democratic voters; we'll run an even more efficient GOTV operation; we'll integrate new technology into our field operation; and we'll work especially hard to bring even more grassroots energy into our party. There is so much that our party can learn by listening to the new grassroots energy in our midst. 2004 was just the beginning for Colorado Democrats.

3. What are the realistic priorities for Democrats in 2006? How would you prioritize holding the legislature, winning the governor’s seat, and picking up a congressional seat?

We have high hopes for 2006 and are already getting ready for that election. First, we need to hold on to our hard-earned victories from 2004, and that starts with defending our turf in the state legislature. I know that Speaker Romanoff and President Fitz-Gerald are already hard at work crunching numbers and recruiting strong candidates. Then we've got all of our statewide offices up, and we have strong candidates looking at each of those.

Mark Udall, Rutt Bridges and Bill Ritter would all make strong candidates for Governor and Dan Grossman will make an excellent Attorney General candidate. We're also talking with some great potential candidates for State Treasurer and Secretary of State. Then, Tom DeLay has said that John
Salazar will be their number one target in the country, and we intend to work hard to let people know that the 3rd district is back in it's rightful hands. We'll be working very hard to recruit strong candidates in each of our other districts. Colorado knows that it can do better than Marilyn Musgrave, Tom Tancredo and Bob Beauprez. The 4th, 6th and 7th will be particular targets for us.


4. What does a State Party Chair do? Help people understand your main functions.

That's a good question. The role of the state party chair has changed dramatically since the passage of McCain-Feingold and Amendment 27. Those laws now make it more complicated to get things done, and they force us to use different parts of the Party to do different things. So a major role of the state party chair is that of traffic cop and peacemaker, making sure that everybody knows what's going on and that we stay coordinated. The state chair also has to take the lead on fundraising, and I'll proudly point out that we raised record amounts of money in the 2004 election cycle. Our party is completely debt free, has upgraded all of our office systems, has comfortable amounts of cash on hand, and has created a system for raising small dollars that will continue to yield strong returns.

It is also critical that the state party chair have strong relationships with all the national entities in Washington, DC, who control targeting decisions, candidate trips and resource allocation. Colorado was a targeted state from beginning to end and we benefited greatly from our strong relationships with the national Kerry-Edwards campaign, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Finally, I believe in the concept of servant leadership, the idea of leading by serving. The state party chair spends a great deal of time solving problems, responding to requests for help, diffusing crises and generally responding to the dozens and dozens of emails and phone calls that arrive each day.

5. What’s your response to the Mike Miles supporters who insist that you actively worked to hurt his campaign? Is there anything you would have done differently?

First, it's important to correct a misimpression that exists out there. I never endorsed Ken Salazar in the primary. In fact, I worked hard to make sure that people correctly described the race. I was very frustrated when the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee didn't include Mike Miles on their Website and I insisted that they include him. And the state chair simply doesn't have the power to choose US Senate nominees - the grassroots of our party picked our nominee in the primary. Are there things I would have done differently? Of course. I've been involved in politics for 30 years and there has never been a cycle when I haven't looked back and learned something.

I'm sorriest for the fact that there are still hard feelings out there about the Senate primary, and my number one priority as state chair will be to work with all of the different parts of the party to find common ground as we move in to the 2006 cycle.

6. There are always a group of people who are angry at being left out when a state party has to make decisions on which races to target. How do party leaders better balance being inclusive with being practical?

Targeting is a reality of modern politics. It is critically important that valuable resources be directed to the place where they can do the most good. But targeting can also be taken too far. I think that any candidate who agrees to run with a "D" after their name deserves some core level of support from the various entities of the state party. We can't recruit people to run and then completely cut them off. The other issue is that targeting decisions are based on specific, hard, measurable criteria. Without giving up our internal strategy to the GOP, I think it's important that we do a better job of explaining what those criteria are and how that process works.

7. Republicans have two candidates for governor already (Holtzman and Coffman) who are actively running for the job. Why hasn’t a Democrat announced a run for governor yet? How much of a disadvantage will it be for Democrats if they wait until May to find a candidate? What is the role of the party chair in all of this?

See my answer to question #3, we have three strong candidates taking a serious look at the Governor's race and I expect we'll know who is in and who is out soon. And there's no built-in advantage or disadvantage to March versus May - we'll be just fine. My job is to make sure that people know that this is a unique race. It's the first time we'll have elected a Governor under the new fundraising rules of Amendment 27 and I want all the potential candidates to know how critical grass-roots fundraising will be in this election. Based on the Republican candidates already in the race, this is a contest we're very much looking forward to.


8. Obviously things are going to change in the next 18 months, but if you had to pick an issue right now that the 2006 election might hinge upon, what issue would that be? How do you see Democrats positioning themselves on that issue?

The GOP had a lock on state government here and they couldn't produce results - it's one of the reasons for our victories last fall. I'll predict that the 2006 election will focus on the fact that Dems have been able to build coalitions and actually get things done in state government. Whether the issue is the fiscal crisis, or schools, or transportation, or jobs, or health care, our party's legislative leadership is focused on delivering for Colorado's working families.

9. What happened with Wellington Webb’s candidacy for DNC Chair? Why couldn’t he generate any momentum?

Mayor Webb was one of seven strong candidates for national party chair. Coloradans and Westerners should be proud of the campaign he ran. He was a thoughtful and forceful advocate for the West and for innovation in our party. In the end, Howard Dean ran the strongest campaign and deserved his victory, but Mayor Webb made a powerful impression all over the country.

10. What does Howard Dean’s election as DNC Chair mean for Colorado? Will Colorado be affected differently than the rest of the country?

I've known Howard Dean for a while and I've always been a fan. I think he is going to be a great national party chair and I was proud to endorse him in the race as soon as Mayor Webb's campaign was completed. Governor Dean is committed to broadening the base of the party and reaching beyond the traditional list of "blue states.”

I've already had several conversations with him and his senior staff about how he can be helpful to us here. He also recognizes that the national party can learn some things from what Colorado was able to accomplish in the last cycle. He's going to be a great partner in our efforts here.

11. If you could wave your hand and make one Colorado sports team win a championship, which team would it be and why? (assuming the NHL still exists)

I'm a Colorado native and grew up rooting hard for the Broncos; I'd be slightly embarrassed to tell you how many Bronco hats and sweatshirts and t-shirts I own. So it's got to be the Denver Broncos.

Got a question for Chris? Click on the COMMENTS link below and ask away. He'll check in throughout the day on Tuesday to answer your questions.

Comments

[Jenn]

In Greeley last fall, several people told me they were voting for Bush, Coors, Musgrave and Democrat Jim Riesberg. People are often more willing to stray from party affiliation for local races, and that allows strong leaders and real issues to win out. I was wondering if you could comment on the challenge of extending this trend to statewide elections like the race for governor. Especially in light of Ken Salazar's statewide win in 2004.

Thanks for doing this!

[Chris]

Jenn: In a state like Colorado, recruiting the right candidate is critical. Colorado voters have a history of mixing and matching their votes, and polling confirms that voters here are willing to cross party lines to vote for the stronger candidate. Remember, only 30% of Colorado's voters are Democrats, so for us to win statewide races we need to have candidates who can expand our universe and reach out to unaffiliated voters.

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

Last year the Democrats got several breaks in Colorado, while the Republicans, basically, got their comeuppance.

Three multi-millionaires were so enraged by the GOP legislature that they put up big bucks to support Democrats, and they won. Can you count on such sugar daddies to help you retain the legislature, or are you on your own?

Republicans fielded some outspoken, outrageous and unacceptable candidates for the legislature last year, and they were easy pickings for the Democrats. Do you see such easy pickings for 2006?

The presidential campaign was close and generated a much bigger than normal turnout, apparently helping the Democrats win in 2004. How important is turnout to the success of Democrats in the gubernatorial and legislative races?

Colorado Republicans have a strong ground campaign even though it came up short in 2004 at the state level; what are you doing to match that GOP 96-hour campaign closing campaign?

Finally, what do you look for in a state senate and house candidate?

tia

[Ter Ducken]

It's great that you're doing this, and congratulations on '04.

Locally, do you think it's harder to defend a newly taken seat or to beat an incumbent and why?

[Chris]

That's quite a few questions in one email, I'll take a shot at a few of them...
I hope you understand that I don't know anything about whatever outside investments others want to make into 527's, so I have no idea regarding the answer to your first question. I only know about the money that flows through the state party.
As far as 'easy pickings', I'd disagree with that assessment. The GOP ran some tough candidates for the legislature in 2004 but we had better ones.
As far as what we look for in state legislative canidates, in general you're always looking for someone who has strong ties to the community they hope to serve and for people who are willing to do the hard work that comes with a legislative race, lots of phone calls and lots and lots of walking. Legislative races require a huge commitment to retail politics.

[Chris]

It's always hardest to defeat an incumbent, there are just so many advantages built in, but then the most vulnerable race anyone has is their first re-election campaign, so both are priorities.

[Alfalfa]

Hi Chris - Thanks for doing this today. It's good to get a Democratic voice in these Q&As! (hint hint to the Colorado Pols - your bias has been showing...)

Anyway, you mentioned the 6th District Congressional seat as one the Democrats might be interested in. As a resident of the 6th, that seems to be a pretty tall order. However, with Tom Tancredo off trying to make a name in national politics, people have speculated he might give up his seat. What is the more appealing scenario in the 6th: an open seat race against a more moderate Republican or having Tancredo and his single-issue baggage as an opponent?

[Chris]

Tancredo has not said that he's thinking about stepping down from his seat to run for President, so we presume he's their canidate in '06, which is just fine by us. He's never raised much money, he regularly says and does pretty outrageous things and he appears to be fixated on this issue of immigration. I think we have a real opportunity there if we can find a strong candidate.

[peterco]

Do you think that the early candidacy announcements are a good thing? There are already people running for State House seats, 3 months after the last election. What do you recommend to people you know are going to run?

[Ed Luva]

i noticed you didn't mention Hickenlooper in your govnor candidates? is that just because he hasn't publicly said he is looking at running, or do you think he won't run?

thanks for making yourself available today.

[Chris]

I'm not surprised to hear this, I think that longer campaigns are the inevitable result of the combination of term limits and campaign finance reform. People feel the need to stake out their turf/seat early on and, because the giving limits are relatively low under A27, you need to start raising money earlier to run a competitive campaign. But it does seem pretty early...

[Julio]

What lessons do you think other states can learn from the Democrats strength in the elections last year? Do you see this as a western state phenomenon, or can the success Democrats had translate into other parts of the country?

[Chris]

Ed: I could be wrong, but my impression is that Mayor Hickenlooper is in fact not running for Governor right now, he enjoys being Mayor and I think he's doing an incredibly good job for the City and County of Denver. But if he ever chooses to run for statewide office, he'd obviously be a very formidable candidate.

[Chris]

Julio: A couple of responses, I think there is much that other states can learn from our success here and we've spent a lot of time talking with other state parties around the country and the DNC about our experience in the last cycle. Also, I think the success we had in both Colorado and Montana reminds people that the west is fertile territory for the Democratic Party. Our party needs an aggressive western states strategy, and Howard Dean agrees with this and is going to be spending a lot of time and resources in the west.

[Isaac]

Chris, thanks for taking this time. Could you follow up on your comment that "we'll work especially hard to bring even more grassroots energy into our party". Obviously, I'm not asking you to give up proprietary party information, but could you give specific details or a description of a plan to better involve the grass roots efforts in the future in Colorado.

[Chris]

Isaac: In years past, we would beg folks to volunteer for the state party and it was a very tough sell, nearly impossible to get people to come down to headquarters to help out. Those times have changed, we now have a data-base of thousands of people who want to be more involved. I've committed to bringing on a full-time Grassroots Coordinator who can chanel that energy to where it needs to go. And that's not just the state party. One of the things we can do is be a referral service, basically connecting volunteers with county parties, legislative campaigns, congressional races, etc. We also need to do more in the way of training, we've got to help people learn more about how the process works so that folks who are new to the system can be more effective. We'll also be working much more closely with county parties, so there is going to be a major emphasis on this area. This is a great opportunity to grow our party.

[Jen L]

Republicans could have as many as three candidates for governor soon, and if Nighthorse and Norton run, that could up to 5! What do you think are the advantages and/or disadvantages to having that many candidates runniong on the same side?

Thanks!

[Chris]

Jen: I think it'd be great is five or six Republicans got in the race for Governor, they seem to be adept at going after each other thse days and they'd burn through quite a bit of money doing it. I think one of the new realities of politics under Amendment 27 is that people will figure out that primaries are a huge drain of energy and resources. And regarding Campbell, my understanding is that there are still several ethics investigations pending of his Senate office, so I'm not sure he's in a position to be a candidate.

[Manny]

Although there is a lot of focus on the Governor's race and maintaining our majority in the house and the senate, do we have any strong/interested candidates for Treasurer and Sec. of State?

[Chris]

Manny: For Treasurer, I know that Chris Romer, the son of the former Governor, has been looking hard at that race. And I also know that some folks have been encouraging Joanna Conti, our former congressional candidate in the 6th, to think about that race. Both would be very strong candidates. For SoS, I know of four folks, all current elected officials, who are examining their options but none want to go public quite yet. We are determined to nomiate a strong and diverse group of candidates for these statewide positions.

[Johnnie Rockets]

what do you think will change with the gop strategy with a new chair in place? with halaby out will they be a different party in any respect?

cool to have you on here!

[Chris]

JR: Let's be clear, Ted Halaby got a raw deal, he did everything he was supposed to do as state chair and he's a good guy. Gov. Owens was the guy who dropped the ball--he's personally responsible for the candidacies of Coors and Walcher--and yet they made Ted fall on his sword, it was unfair. That said, I think we can expect them to be more aggressive than they were last time in a whole variety of areas. As hard as we worked in 2004, we're going to have to work twice as hard in 2006 to retain and expand our majorities because the other side is mad and they'll be coming at us hard.

[Andrew]

Chris,

Thanks for doing this. We really appreciate your time.

Could you size up the 2006 race in CO-7 for us? Who do we Dems have to run against Beauprez? Would you say that that's our best shot for a pickup or would that be in 4 or 6?

[Chris]

All: I've tried to be as responsive as possible today, but I'm now off to a couple of meetings so will be going off line for a few hours. I will be back on line later this evening and I will try to catch up with any additional questions that come in. I've enjoyed the experience and hope that it's been a helpful exchange.

[Chris]

Andrew: It's too early to be naming names, but we've got good folks looking at both CD7 and CD4, both of them will be targets for us in '06. CD7 is a competitive seat just based on the math, the numbers are good there for us and Bob B. hasn't done anything special. CD4 is worth investing in because Musgrave is so far out on the fringe of her own party. CD6 is a bit tougher, the numbers aren't great there, but if Tancredo keeps up with his quixotic presidential campaign, we will go after that one hard.