from the new west blog: column, congressional campaigns

Colorado Congressional Race Could Help Obama

By Jill Kuraitis, 8-14-08

	Scott Starin (R), Jared Polis (D)

Tuesday’s late primary in Colorado resulted in an interesting matchup: aerospace engineer Scott Starin (R) and entrepreneur Jared Polis (D) will face each other in November for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District seat.

The seat is open because Rep. Mark Udall is running for Senate.

Though Polis is openly gay, the primary campaign didn’t focus on sexual orientation, but the issue may move toward center stage for the general election.  Colorado is a November swing state, and the progressive vote in its 2nd District in support of Polis could have national implications.

Starin’s website says: “I am opposed to same-sex marriages, for a number of reasons. I believe marriage is a cornerstone of our society. While I am always hesitant to amend the constitution, I would support a carefully worded, simple amendment stating marriage is between one man and one woman. However, I am adamantly opposed to courts legislating from the bench. It is a fundamental cornerstone of the separation of powers in our form of government, and all Americans should be concerned when courts overturn laws without sound constitutional basis, solely based on their interpretation of what our society now recognizes.”

Polis’ website states his view on the same issue this way: “Millions of Americans can’t enjoy the legal protections of marriage because of their orientation. I believe that two committed adults of the same sex should be able to enjoy full marriage rights in the United States and that no federal, state, or local jurisdiction should be able to deny any of the benefits of the marriage to same-sex couples. The so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ must be repealed.”

Their positions on the price of oil illustrates one important contrast between Starin and Polis.  Starin believes that restricting domestic oil production and protecting wildlife habitat by banning drilling has contributed to the problem, and he is pro-nuclear. Polis believes “we should repeal existing oil company tax breaks and put that money into solar, wind, alternative fuels and energy efficiency.” He doesn’t state his position on nuclear energy.

Polis favors a single-payer health care plan for all Americans.  Though Starin doesn’t state his position on health care (and his campaign website doesn’t list a single phone number for anyone in his campaign, so asking is problematic) it seems unlikely a Republican would support a single-payer plan.

Polis’ website has detailed position statements about 16 issues.  Starin’s lists just four.

Since the 2nd CD – which includes Boulder - is a heavily Democratic district, it means Polis is almost a lock to be the first openly gay man elected to Congress as a non-incumbent. He would become the sixth openly gay member to serve in the House.

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