Republicans cheered by gains in the Statehouse

By John J. Sanko, Rocky Mountain News
November 7, 2002

Republicans in the Colorado General Assembly had plenty to cheer about Wednesday.

They lost one seat in the House and picked up one in the Senate. It might not appear much to cheer about, but that little shift made a dramatic change since it gave Republicans control of both legislative chambers under Republican Gov. Bill Owens. The GOP will hold an 18-17 advantage in the Senate going into the 2003 session - the same margin of control that Democrats held for the past two years.

In the House, Republicans will hold a 37-28 edge, one less than what they had going into the election. At one time Tuesday night, it looked as thought they might lose two seats.

"We have 37 but it looks as though there may be some recounts," said House Majority Leader Lola Spradley, R-Beulah. "There were some very close races out there."

There were no known automatic recounts - triggered by a formula based on margin of victory - but a few contests, including one extremely close House battle in Colorado Springs, was so close that Republicans held out hope provisional ballots might increase their numbers.

In the Senate, which drew the focus of both parties, Republicans made their big gain when Rep. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, grabbed a former Democratic seat held by Senate President Stan Matsunaka, D-Loveland.

The GOP knew they had the win when El Paso County Commissioner Ed Jones, a Republican, kept control of a Colorado Springs seat.

Two races including parts of Jefferson County went down to the wire - so close they couldn't be called Tuesday night - before ending up narrowly in Democratic hands.- Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Golden, a former Jefferson County clerk and recorder, pulled out a close victory over Gilpin County Commissioner Web Sill in District 16.


And in District 20, a seat held by outgoing Senate President pro tem Ed Perlmutter, former Rep. Maryanne "Moe" Keller, D-Wheat Ridge, eked out a slim win over Deputy District Attorney Steve Jensen.

With all regular votes tabulated, Keller held a 176-vote advantage.

In the battle for control of the 65-member House, Republicans grabbed 37 seats but still were watching five races, including four won by Democrats, where the margin of difference was extremely thin.

The closest race was in House District 18 in Colorado Springs, where Democrat Michael Merrifield, a retired teacher, defeated Republican Dan Stuart by 75 votes. Republicans were hoping uncounted provisional ballots might change the results.

Other races with narrow margins included House District 11 in Boulder County, where Democrat Jack Pommer defeated Republican Leona Stoecker by 580 votes; House District 29 in Arvada, where Republican Bob Briggs beat Democrat Debbie Benefield by 367 votes; House District 30, where Rep. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, held a 229-vote lead over Republican David Dunnell; and House District 56, where Rep. Carl Miller, D-Leadville, had a 326-vote advantage over Heather Christine Lemon. Angie Paccione beat Republican Kirk Brush in House District 53 in Fort Collins.