POLITICS, ONLY IN ASPEN

Aspen’s Sheriff’s Race Gets National Attention

By David Frey, 10-20-06

"Only in Aspen."

That's the way the Washington Post summed up the bizarre Pitkin County Sheriff's race, between Bob Braudis, the five-time incumbent and longtime Hunter S. Thompson crony, and Rick Magnuson, the performance-artist cop who is challenging him. And it's hard to argue.

For once, the inside-the-Beltway point of view comes in handy, because it gets Aspen out of its own inside-the-roundabout naval gazing. In Aspen, the race has become a battle between the old favorite and the scrappy challenger, between soft-on-drugs Bob and tough-on-drugs Rick. But in the wider world, the two may not be all that far apart on the drug issue. Both candidates say they support Colorado's Amendment 44, which would legalize possessing an ounce of pot.

Braudis tells the Post he's tougher than people think. And Magnuson says he understands Aspen party-town reputation leaves it with a more tolerant taste in law enforcement.

So where does a small-town sheriff election draw national attention? Where does the top cop take a pause from writing a book on the famous Gonzo journalist to run for re-election? Where do famous names like Ed Bradley chip in cash to keep the incumbent around? Where does the challenger find himself facing questions about, er, pleasuring himself in front of the camera in the desert in one of his art pieces?

Only in Aspen.

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