Tipton facing GOP foe for seat
Two Democrats also vying in the massive 3rd District that is expected to be competitive in the fall
From Grand Junction to Pueblo and all the mountain towns in between, Republican voters must decide this month between Colorado’s most taciturn congressman and a restaurateur who is anything but.
Democrats, meanwhile, are considering whether to invest their hopes in a former state lawmaker who lost in 2018 — or a political neophyte who recently moved into the district.
This is the state of play in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, a massive swath of land that encompasses the Western Slope, significant portions of the mountains and Pueblo. It is the only congressional district hosting primaries for both parties June 30, giving unaffiliated voters a choice of which to weigh in on.
The 3rd District also is one of only two districts in the state that is expected to be competitive in November.
The Republican primary
Republican Rep. Scott Tipton, of Cortez, is the five-term incumbent and presumed front-runner in the Republican race, though there has been no public polling. That leaves some uncertainty about his chances against Lauren Boebert, a bold and brash gun-toting restaurant owner from Rifle who has attacked Tipton consistently since entering the race.
The Republican primary can seem at times like a contest over who is more pro-trump.
Boebert, 33, has tried convincing conservatives that Tipton is unfaithful to both their values and the president’s priorities. But Tipton, 63, is a co-chair of Trump’s re-election campaign, and he received Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” in December. More recently, Donald Trump Jr. recorded a radio ad for Tipton.
“Scott Tipton is the only candidate in the race who has helped pass the MAGA agenda,” Trump Jr. says in the ad, referring to Make America Great Again, his father’s 2016 campaign slogan.
“As far as endorsements go,” Boebert said Thursday, “voters completely understand that President Trump’s endorsement happened within days of me joining the race — and that I’m going to
be the candidate he will be proud to endorse in the general election this fall.”
The soft-spoken and lowprofile Tipton had ignored Boebert’s fiery attacks until this month, when he sent voters a mailer that bluntly calls her “Lying Lauren” on several occasions. It also features a large photo of Tipton at a rally with Trump and a screenshot of Trump’s tweeted endorsement of Tipton.
“Lying Lauren has been lying to voters — that’s why President Trump endorsed Scott Tipton!” it states.
The two Republicans, who seem to agree on nearly all major issues, have squabbled over two littleknown pieces of legislation, neither of which has become law. Tipton voted for both and has been criticized by Boebert for doing so.
The first is H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would modify a visa program to give non-citizen farm workers a path to further work, but not citizenship.
Boebert calls it an “amnesty” bill for undocumented immigrants.
The second is H.R. 6467, the Coronavirus Community Relief Act, which would set aside $250 billion in aid for cities with fewer than 500,000 people, including every city in the 3rd District. Boebert calls it the “Boulder Bailout” because it was sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat who represents Boulder in Congress.
“As expected, Scott Tipton’s D.C. double talk is failing to explain away his horrible voting record, so now all he has left is to call me a liar,” Boebert said in response to the Tipton mailer. “I take that as a good sign that I’m about to surprise the establishment and win this primary.”
The Democratic race
On the Democratic side, the contest is between James Iacino, 37, a former Seattle Fish Co. CEO who lives in Ridgway, and Diane Mitsch Bush, 70, a former state legislator and county commissioner from Steamboat Springs.
It’s a race between new and old. Iacino had never run for office before this election cycle and only recently moved to the 3rd District from Denver.
Bush has lived in the district longer than Iacino’s been alive and held elected office, but lost to Tipton in 2018.
“Unlike James, I have a record, and it’s a record I can hold up proudly against Scott Tipton’s record,” Mitsch Bush said in an interview Thursday.
“I have big-name recognition. My opponent in this Democratic primary had to start from zero.,” she added.
Iacino readily acknowledges that name recognition has been his biggest hurdle. But, he says, considering Tipton’s history of reelection victories, Democrats would be wise to choose a non-politician.
“He’s faced four former state legislators and he’s attacked them for being career politicians — which is a little ironic — but I’m the first non-politician,” Iacino said, referring to Tipton’s re-election victories beginning in 2012.
“I have a strong business background and know how to create jobs in the state,” he added. “I think that, particularly in light of the crisis we’re facing now, has resonated with a lot of independents and moderate Republicans — folks who, in addition to those in our party, are looking for something different this time.”
National Democratic groups have had an eye on the 3rd District for several years but have failed to recruit a prominent Democrat into the race.
Tipton faced his toughest re-election in 2018, when he beat Mitsch Bush by eight percentage points, the closest Colorado congressional race that year.
“I know how to go after him and what to go after him on,” Mitsch Bush said about her eagerness for a rematch, noting that Tipton first lost a race against then-u.s. Rep. John Salazar in 2006 before winning their 2010 rematch.
Mitsch Bush said she prioritizes health care, the economy and climate when talking to voters. Iacino said he hears most about those three issues, too. When asked how he addresses questions about his short residency in the 3rd District, he said he talks about his family history.
“I’m a third-generation Coloradan. My family’s been here 115 years, my company’s been here for 102 years and we’re a Colorado-based company,” he said. “I’ve spent my career doing business across the state of Colorado.”