Trump’s Nomination Major Threat to Colorado’s Republican Delegation

The Aurora Sentinel reporter Rachel Sapin with colleagues does a story on early impact of Trump on Colorado’s Republican congressional delegation and senate primary candidates (a number that changes daily).

My view is:

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman
Photo: Aurora Sentinel

Floyd Ciruli, a nonpartisan Denver political consultant, said Coffman’s reaction shows that Colorado conservatives are looking for ways to disengage from Trump’s campaign while not also alienating the state’s Trump supporters.

“While this was a Ted Cruz state in terms of people that showed up for caucuses and went onto to Congressional conventions, there are Trump supporters out there,” Ciruli said.

Ciruli said Coffman’s campaign will also have to figure out how to keep the campaign from receiving the tail-end of future Trump backlash. Coffman faces Democratic state Sen. Morgan Carroll of Aurora, formerly state Senate president and known for not pulling punches on the Senate floor or during previous campaigns.

“That’s his challenge,” Ciruli says.  “He’ll be running with a candidate (Trump) that has a long track record of saying controversial things.” Ciruli says Colorado Democrats will likely use the opportunity to attack Coffman by riling up local press about whether the longtime incumbent agrees with Trump when the candidate makes divisive statements. 

Democratic challenger Morgan Carroll to incumbent Mike Coffman makes the point with:

Carroll made it clear supporting Trump would be a campaign issue starting now and used the opportunity to attack Coffman when asked about Trump’s nomination.

“Trump is bigoted, misogynistic, and absolutely dangerous when it comes to our national security,” she said in a statement.  “It says a lot about Congressman Coffman that he would be supporting Donald Trump. The reality is that Coffman’s own divisive rhetoric has echoed Trump’s and hurts hard-working Coloradans."

See The Buzz: Trump and Sanders Affect Colorado’s Congressional Races