Ken Gordon

Colorado Senate Republicans are accusing the Senate Democratic Caucus of violating the Open Meetings Act after a GOP legislative staffer was told to leave a Democratic caucus meeting Tuesday.

The majority and minority leaders from both legislative chambers will unveil legislation tomorrow calling for the use of paper ballots at polling places for the 2008 elections.

The bill would also provide for early or absentee voting, as well as federally mandated electronic voting machines for the disabled, a press release stated.  read more »

The Top Ten Power Positions in Colorado

Updated February 14, 2007  read more »

Legislation to give Secretary of State Mike Coffman more leeway and more time to recertify many of the state's voting machines unanimously passed a Senate committee on Monday.

The legislation, HB1155, allows Coffman to retest electronic voting machines he decertified in December, and permits county clerk representatives to be present during the retesting.  read more »

As the County Clerks continue to revolt against Secretary of State Mike Coffman’s effort to decertify voting machines, it’s kind of weird that party leaders from both sides of the aisle are staying out of the fight thus far.  read more »

Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon's message to rally the troops? Blame the Voters!

Because so many people admire the BCS college football Bowl System (cough, hack, yawn), we here at the Inside Edge came up with a similar methodology to measure the power and prestige of Colorado politicians.

Like the BCS Bowl System, it consists primarily of a computer-based simulation engine. The engine has sophisticated algorithms that predict the behavior of party activists, lobbyists and politicians under various scenarios.

With a New Year dawning tomorrow, there will be 366 new days (one extra because of leap year) for politicians to cause mischief and mayhem in the state of Colorado. Therefore the Inside Edge has offered ten lucky politicians ten resolutions to make for the New Year to limit the carnage and confusion in Colorado in 2008.

1) Congressman Doug Lamborn: “I hereby resolve that in 2008 I will not leave angry voice mail messages on any constituents’ phone no matter how true their charges are against me, even if those charges are published in a widely-read thought-journal with vast circulation like the Woodmen Edition. Instead I’ll just send hate mail.”

2) Former Jefferson County Treasurer Mark Paschall:

3) Secretary of State Mike Coffman:

4) State Senator Thomas Wiens: “I hereby resolve that in 2008 I will actually run for a political office that I’ve talked about.”

5) U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer:

6) Governor Bill Ritter:

7) U.S. Senate Candidate, Congressman Mark Udall:

8) State Senator Ken Gordon:

9) Colorado County Clerks and Recorders:

10) Political Consultant, Sean Tonner: “I hereby resolve that in 2008 I’ll stop hurting my clients with my political advice, like I did with Coors, Owens, Trailhead, Beauprez, Coffman. Wow. That’s a pretty sorry record. Maybe I should resolve to stop working in politics all together?”

Sources close to the campaign of Secretary of State Mike Coffman have confirmed that if Coffman wins that Republican primary in the sixth district congressional race, Coffman intends to immediately resign as Secretary of State in August to facilitate Republican recapture of the office.

Coffman has been under pressure to give up quest for the 6th CD seat, because it would mean losing the Secretary of State’s office to the Dems. And this latest argument softens the blow a bit. GOP Party Boss Dick Wadhams is said to be livid that Coffman is running for the 6th CD because of what the loss could mean to the GOP. Sources have confirmed to us that Wadhams is actively working behind the scenes to prevent Coffman from fundraising effectively here in Colorado and around the country.

Coffman’s resignation would give Governor Bill Ritter the ability to appoint a Secretary of State -- likely a Democrat, perhaps ’06 candidate Ken Gordon.  But according to state  law, it would also trigger a November 2008 special election to fill Coffman’s unexpired term.  So while the incumbent Secretary of State would be a Democrat, he or she would have to run for office next fall.