Dems Markey, Quinn in race
A former congresswoman and a suburban mayor announcedMonday they are seeking the Democratic nomination for state treasurer in hopes of unseating Republican Walker Stapleton in 2014.
Betsy Markey, who represented the 4th Congressional District for one term, stood on thewest steps of the stateCapitol with a group of Democrats, including former state treasurers Cary Kennedy and Gail Schoettler.
“Colorado is a dynamic state on the cutting edge of innovation, and the treasurer’s office should be no different,” Markey said.
She touted her experience as a businesswoman in Fort Collins before going toWashington first as a congresswomanand then as a deputy for theU.S. Department ofHomeland Security.
Broomfield Mayor Pat Quinn announced his candidacy in a news release that took some Democrats by surprise, including former Adams County District Attorney Don Quick, who showed up to support Markey.
Quick, who is running for attorney general, said that when the mayor talked to him about the race, Quick suggested they get a cup of coffee and talk. That didn’t happen, Quick said.
“I plan to have coffee with Don because I’m big supporter of his,” Quinn said, adding that he talked with plenty of Democrats who knew he was planning to run.
Quinn, whose third term as mayor ends in November, touted his background as a certified public accountant who worked with businesses large and small that created and maintained jobs. He said he first got involved in public service in 1981 during an open space issue in Boulder County.
He stressed that his was going to be a “grassroots campaign” and he was going to “reach out to the people of Colorado because I went them to decide.”
The Colorado Republican Party reacted to Markey’s and Quinn’s candidacies with a blistering news release: “Two radical Democrats jump into race.”
“Regardless of who wins the primary, any Democrat is going to have a tough time taking on Treasurer Stapleton, who has a strong record of fighting for the people of Colorado,” said Ryan Call, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party.