Waak: Keep an eye on JeffCo, Arapahoe County this election

COLORADO SPRINGS -- Both Republican and Democratic officials agree the Denver suburbs will be pivotal in deciding the outcome of the Nov. 4 general election.

But while Republicans see the south suburbs as the key battleground, Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak is looking to the western and eastern suburbs.

"I think if you start talking about swing counties, I think you keep looking at Jefferson County and Arapahoe County," Waak said Saturday at a coffee shop in Colorado Springs.

One big sign that those counties are ripe for Democrats to take is the number of female Democratic officials elected there in recent years, she said. The list includes state Rep. Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) and state Sen. Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora) from Arapahoe County, and state Sens. Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood) and Maryanne Keller (D-Wheat Ridge) from Jefferson County.

"When you look at Jefferson County you kind of think that it's sort of a Republican county, but you have a long history of Democratic women coming out of that county," Waak said. "Arapahoe has some good Democratic women also coming out of that county, but I still look at that as sort of a swing place."

But Waak said Democratic successes in November will hinge on voter turnout in areas where Democrats are already established.

 "We need to ratchet up the turnout in our really good Democratic counties, like Denver County, Pueblo, Huerfano and Las Animas (counties)," Waak said. "Those are good strong Democratic counties; we just need to increase our voter turnout there."

Three demographics that will help decide the election are young people, Latinos and women, Waak said.

Young people, especially, Waak said, will be a bigger factor in this election than in previous years - which benefits the Democrats, she said.

"They're there, and they're working - they're working in the headquarters, they're working out in the fields, they're out canvassing," she said. "I have no doubt whatsoever that you're going to see a much bigger turnout among young people than we've seen in the past."