Nov 7 - Summary of Ritter-O'Brien Newspaper Endorsements

Aspen Daily News (PDF file)
Aspen Times (PDF file)
Aurora Sentinel
Boulder Daily Camera
Boulder Weekly
Colorado Daily
Colorado Springs Independent
Cortez Journal
The Denver Post
Durango Herald
Fort Collins Coloradoan
Glenwood Springs Post Independent (PDF file)
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
Greeley Tribune
Montrose Daily Press
Ouray County Plaindealer
Pueblo Chieftain
Rocky Mountain News
El Semanario
Salida Mountain Mail
Snowmass Village Sun (PDF file)
Telluride Watch (PDF file)
Vail Daily (PDF file)
Wet Mountain Tribune

November 07, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 30 - Greeley Tribune Endorses Bill Ritter

Ritter is our choice to lead Colorado

Ritter is a moderate Democrat who has carefully thought through problems facing Colorado. He follows up in speeches and debates with detail about how to manage the state's budget stress or how to provide affordable health care to all Colorado residents, or how to capitalize on a new energy economy. ... Ritter's principles draw us to him, along with his abilities to reach out to the common people. He's a good communicator who we believe can make bipartisanship work in the governor's office. This state needs a dynamic leader, which we think Ritter will be. Send him to the governor's seat and watch Colorado grow.

Click here to read the entire endorsement from the Greeley Tribune. (PDF file format)

Read additional newspaper editorial endorsements of Bill Ritter:

October 30, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 29 - Pueblo Chieftain Endorses Bill Ritter

Ritter for governor

BILL RITTER has conducted an impressive statewide campaign for governor of Colorado ... Our nod goes to Mr. Ritter as a man committed to tackling all the wide-ranging issues facing our state, regardless of political faction or geographic region. ... We believe he is sincerely committed to extending economic development and opportunity to Southeastern Colorado and throughout the state. ...

At this crucial juncture in history for Southern Colorado's water and future vitality, we recommend the candidate who has staked out a path for the entire state - urban and rural. That's Bill Ritter. He deserves your vote for governor.

Click here to read the entire Pueblo Chieftain endorsement. (PDF file format)

Read additional newspaper editorial endorsements of Bill Ritter:

October 29, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 29 - Happy Halloween !!

October 29, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 27 - Bill Ritter Earns More Endorsements

Fort Collins Coloradoan:

October 27: Ritter's vision for Colorado makes sense

Bill Ritter should be the next governor of Colorado. ... Ritter, a Democrat, was able to communicate his vision for the future of Colorado effectively. ... In a refreshing acknowledgement that a new direction is needed when it comes to resource allocation, Ritter is an advocate of early childhood education programs. He told the editorial board that getting children ready to learn is one of the biggest goals for the state's economic well being. ... Ritter says that immigration is primarily a federal issue, and we agree.

Click here to read the entire Fort Collins Coloradoan endorsement. (PDF file format)

Colorado Springs Independent:

October 12 - Endorsements: Priority races

It is clear that Ritter has emerged as the sophisticated and savvy leader that Colorado deserves.

... few gave him a chance of winning. But the more the people of Colorado saw how hard Ritter worked to understand our state's varied constituencies — whether they live in the Pikes Peak region, in Metro Denver, the Western Slope or the more rural areas of the state — the more people came to realize that this former prosecutor truly listens and learns from what he has heard. ... Colorado needs a sensible, focused, visionary and pragmatic leader. Bill Ritter has proven he's the far better choice.

Click here to read the entire Colorado Springs Independent endorsement of Bill. (PDF file format)

Read additional newspaper editorial endorsements of Bill Ritter:

October 27, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 23 - Recent Western Slope Endorsements: Ouray, Durango, Aspen

Ouray County Plaindealer:

October 13 - Endorsements: the state offices

Governor: Bill Ritter. Solid. Moderate. Independent. Those are words that come to immediate mind when the Democratic hopeful comes under consideration. Though Ritter lacks the traditional resume of a gubernatorial candidate-- some legislative experience or maybe having served as state treasurer -- he has proven himself as an able administrator with a firm grasp of the issues facing Colorado, which he demonstrated in a campaign stop in Ouray County in August. Ritter is far from a knee-jerk Democrat, exemplified by his pro-life stance on abortion. His opponent, Bob Beauprez, has been a party-line voter in Congress, was an opponent of last year's vital Referendum C, and has run a clumsy campaign. And it appears he has taken Ouray County for granted, having not campaigned here to date.

Click here to visit the Ouray County Plaindealer website.

Durango Herald:

October 15 - Bill Ritter: As governor, he can move Colorado forward

...

This November, who can better keep the state moving forward? Bill Ritter.

Ritter's hardscrabble upbringing and years as Denver district attorney have given him a good feel for what it will take to improve the lives of many Coloradans. Ritter has pledged to make strengthening education - including higher education - a priority, along with protecting the environment and improving health-care services, especially for the state's uninsured.

We expect that Ritter's open and moderate style, passion and vision will go a long way in moving diverse groups forward. He is inclusive, a welcome and refreshing quality in today's divided political climate.

Despite his personal and professional Denver roots, Ritter also knows Southwest Colorado. Years ago he spent time in Silverton with his father, a contractor, who was laying a pipeline. More recently, as an attorney for the state after limited-stakes gambling became possible, he helped negotiate the gambling parameters that the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes would apply in their casinos. Some of those meetings took place in Ignacio and Towaoc, and gave Ritter a sense of our region's needs and concerns - and how they differ from those along the Front Range.

...

Bill Ritter has the potential to move Colorado forward. He deserves to be the state's next governor.

Click here to visit the Durango Herald website.

Aspen Daily News:

October 19 - Bill Ritter

Ritter is clearly a cut above ...

... the driving issue for our decision to support Ritter is the difference between the two candidates on immigration.

Ritter ... realizes the issue is not that simple, and we support his pledge for a guest-worker program to help Colorado employers fill their jobs with immigrants.

Throughout the campaign ... Ritter has been a steady force.

It's Ritter's display of poise and calm that Colorado needs. If he sticks to his promises, this state will be better because of him.

Click here to view the entire Aspen Daily News endorsement (PDF file requires the Adobe Acrobat reader.)

Read additional newspaper editorial endorsements of Bill Ritter:

October 25, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 18 - 'Hot Shots' Feature Added to Website

Ritter raises $335K in first half of October

Campaign unveils new video-fundraising program featuring endorsement testimonials from local, national 'Hot Shots'

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter raised $335,000 in campaign contributions during the first half of October, according to a report filed with the Secretary of State’s Office today.

The figure brings his campaign-to-date total to $3.5 million. Ritter ended the Sept. 28 to Oct. 11 filing period with $193,000 cash on hand. His campaign spent $308,000 during the period.

With just 20 days until Election Day, Ritter today also launched a new "Hot Shot" fundraising program featuring video endorsements from local and national dignitaries. The videos will be posted on a new page on Ritter's website and e-mailed to thousands of Coloradans. A new video from a Colorado or national "Hot Shot" will be posted and e-mailed each day.

In addition to telling voters why they are backing Bill, the "Hot Shots" will include an invitation to contribute online. "This campaign is all about looking forward, and this is a creative way for our supporters to generate even more enthusiasm for Bill Ritter," campaign manager Greg Kolomitz said. "We're using the web to promote Bill's vision for Colorado and to invite people to join our efforts."

The program kicks off today with an endorsement and fundraising pitch from former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, who also served in the Clinton Cabinet as secretary of the Transportation and Energy departments.

Fundraising Total: $3.5 million
2006 Totals:
January to March: $465,000
April: $156,000
May: $200,000
June: $360,000
July 1-12: $121,000
July 13-26: $106,000
July 27-Aug. 30: $606,000
Aug. 31-Sept. 13: $197,000
Sept. 14-27: $225,000
Sept. 28-Oct. 11: $335,000

Visit additional coverage on the fundraising:

October 18, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 18 - Bill Releases New TV Ad

October 18, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 13 - Beauprez Campaign Sneaks Look into Federal Database

Information in attack ad only available to law enforcement

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to examine whether Congressman Beauprez broke the law by using a criminal justice database in a television attack ad.

Ritter accused the Congressman of gaining access to a secure national database in violation of state and federal law.

"Your campaign broke the law," Ritter said during a debate taped at Fox 31 News in Denver this afternoon. "It's illegal to have access to that database."

The Congressman said his campaign used an "informant" to gather the information in the ad and would publicly disclose how and from where he obtained the information.

"The Congressman needs to be held accountable for this," Ritter said after the debate. "Breaking the rules for political gain and trying to cover it up might be OK in Washington, but that's not how we do things in Colorado."

Read additional articles and commentary about the Beauprez campaign's access of a restricted Federal database: (Sorted by date, source)

October 15, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 11 - Aurora Daily Sun and Sentinel Endorses Bill

On Wednesday, the Aurora Daily Sun & Sentinel joined an ever-expanding list of newspapers, organizations, and officials to endorse Bill Ritter's campaign:

The Sun Says: Bill Ritter offers right ideas for Colorado

Choosing Colorado's next governor can be difficult when the two top candidates seeking the job are passionate, hard-working, dedicated people who want to see the state flourish and all of its residents prosper.

But picking the next governor is easy when you ponder what you want the state to look like four years from now, and we choose Bill Ritter's vision for Colorado.

Colorado residents face serious problems in the immediate future, chief among them are lackluster public school test scores, unaffordable college tuition rates, unaffordable and deteriorating health care, and clogged, deteriorating roads and inevitable water shortages.

While the state remains one of the best places to live, pressing troubles will quickly change how good a Colorado life is unless the state changes course.

After listening closely to Ritter and Congressman Bob Beauprez spell out what they would do differently, it's clear that Ritter is calling for substantive change and offers ideas that really can make a difference.

Both candidates lament mediocre test scores in public schools across the state, but Ritter understands the need for comprehensive intervention in urban schools where the problem is not the lack of caring teachers and better curricula, but children who lack a strong enough home life to be successful in school.

Making sure these students can keep pace with their more fortunate peers will take money and commitment, which Ritter has made clear he understands.

Ritter and Beauprez both appreciate the increased difficulty families face in getting their children into and through college, but Ritter has made it clear that pushing the price of college out of reach for Coloradans jeopardizes the quality of the state's top schools and endangers the ability to keep and lure businesses.

There's no doubt this issue is a top concern for Ritter.

The candidates offer nearly opposite plans to tame the state's health care crisis. While Beauprez has offered good ideas to help contain costs, simply making the current system more efficient has not stopped spiraling costs in the past, and it won't solve the problem in the future.

Ritter shows real vision here, looking to systems that bring dramatically more people into the pool of the insured, and at the same time seeking regulations that will keep state residents from being taken like they were with recent so-called auto-insurance reform.

Beauprez was keen on watching out for district concerns, including those in Aurora, ensuring that the area's hi-tech and military interests were cared for in Washington.

But his insistence on supporting a failed White House agenda and philosophies that hurt all Americans, such as a ban on stem-cell research funding and his blind support to dangerously re-interpret the Geneva Conventions, raise serious doubts about what a government much closer to home would be like under his control and veto pen.

Ritter has long been a champion of government that operates fairly, compassionately and by focusing on reality.

It's Ritter's state government, navigating by common sense instead of shifting political winds that will help solve the national problem of illegal immigration.

Colorado is desperate for change in how the state is run, and it's clear that Ritter is needed to lead the way.

October 11, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 10 - Congressman Beauprez Delivers Another Classic 'Both Ways Bob' Moment

He Supported In-State Tuition For High-Profile Illegal Immigrant!

BothwaystryingbothwaysIn perhaps his most stunning demonstration of political hypocrisy yet, Congressman Beauprez four years ago supported high-profile efforts to allow the child of undocumented immigrants to attend the University of Colorado at in-state tuition rates. Today, the Congressman claims to oppose in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.

"He's a man of convenience, not of conviction," said Bill Ritter's campaign manager, Greg Kolomitz. "Nobody knows where the Congressman stands on this issue – most issues, really. When it's politically advantageous for him to take one position, he does. A few years later, when he thinks it's helpful to take another, he flip-flops."

As reported in today's Denver Post, Beauprez supported legislation that would have provided in-state tuition rates for Aurora Central High School honor student Jesus Apodaca. Numerous other Republican leaders supported those efforts as well, including Gov. Bill Owens, then-U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, then-Congressman Bob Schaffer and President Bush.

Over the past few years, prominent Republicans have backed national efforts that would allow states to offer the children of illegal immigrants in-state tuition rates. Those Republicans include U.S. Senators Orin Hatch, John McCain, and Arlen Specter and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

"Congressman Beauprez is engaging in the worst sort of political hypocrisy we've seen yet," Kolomitz said. "Despite what his campaign says, he really is trying to have it both ways."

October 10, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 6 - Ritter Ad Questions Congressman's Tax Proposals

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter launched a new TV ad today that warns Coloradans about Congressman Beauprez's fiscally irresponsible plan to hike the state’s sales tax by 25 percent.

Beauprez has proposed a .77 cent increase to Colorado's sales tax – which amounts to a 25 percent boost. And this isn't the first time he's proposed a sales-tax jump. In 2003, he co-sponsored a bill (H.R. 25) to replace the nation's income tax with a 23 percent national sales tax on all new purchases and services.

The 30-second ad is now posted on the campaign website and will begin airing statewide tonight. Here is the complete script:

Narrator: "What kind of ideas has Congressman Bob Beauprez picked up in Washington?"

"Beauprez pushed for a national sales tax of 23 percent on everything we buy including new homes, food, and medicine."

"He's proposed a 25 percent Colorado sales tax increase, and even supports unlimited tuition increases for college."

Bill Ritter: "The last thing we need to do is make it tougher for our kids to go to college, or families to buy a home."

"I'll keep the Colorado Promise of an economy that helps families and rewards hard work."

Ritter said increasing the Colorado sales tax will hurt Colorado residents and retailers.

"We need fiscally responsible leaders here in Colorado," Ritter said, "not the kind of Washington-style budgeting we've gotten on Congressman Beauprez's watch. The federal government's debt ceiling is now $9 trillion, they're borrowing hand over fist, and spending is out of control. We shouldn't bankrupt our children and mortgage their future. We need to hold Congressman Beauprez accountable."

Click here to watch Ritter's first TV spot, which focuses on his plan to establish Colorado as a national renewable-energy leader.

Click here to watch Ritter's second TV spot, which focuses on his personal background and fiscal responsibility.

Click here to watch Ritter's third TV spot, which began the "Hold Congressman Beauprez Accountable" theme.

Click here to watch Ritter's fourth TV spot, which focuses on Ritter's record as District Attorney, cites the Rocky Mountain News' endorsement, and holds Beauprez accountable for attacking Ritter.

Read additional articles and commentary about the fifth TV spot:

October 09, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 6 - Congressman Beauprez Goes Both Ways on Severance Tax

In a stunning about-face, Congressman Beauprez today told the Nature Conservancy he would consider increasing Colorado's severance tax. Two days earlier, during an energy-issues debate in Rifle, the Congressman had a completely different answer:

"Hell no," Congressman Beauprez said when asked if he would support boosting the statewide severance tax. "It's not just no."

Severance-tax revenue is derived from companies that extract, or "sever," minerals, oil, gas, and other resources from the earth. Beauprez told the Nature Conservancy's Colorado chapter today that he would not rule out an increase.

"It's blatant pandering and typical of Washington politicans," Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter said. "He says one thing on Wednesday to an audience heavy with oil-and-gas interests, and two days later he flip-flops when talking to an audience heavy with conservation interests."

The Congressman also exhibited a bit of blatant pandering Thursday night, when he told Legatus, a group of Catholic business executives, that his top three campaign priorities are immigration, education, and health care.

He told the Colorado Contractors Association, whose members build roads, highways, and bridges, that his top priorities are transportation, water, and education.

"Time after time, the Congressman tries to have it both ways," Ritter said. "He needs to be held accountable."

Visit the Ritter campaign's new website feature, "Holding Congressman Beauprez Accountable."

October 09, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 5 - Wet Mountain Tribune Endorses Bill Ritter

On Thursday, the Wet Mountain Tribune in Westcliffe joined a growing list of newspapers, organizations, and officials to endorse Bill Ritter's campaign:

Ritter for governor

It’s hard to deny the overall progress and advancement that took place in Colorado under the leadership of former governors Stephen McNichols, John Love and Roy Romer. Issues of importance to everyone – education, transportation, the economy and the environment – all improved thanks to the leadership skills and the non-partisanship demonstrated by those three visionaries.

When Coloradoans go to the polls in the coming weeks, they’ll have an opportunity to restore progress, advancement and visionary thinking to the political process by voting for Bill Ritter for Governor.

Ritter is first and foremost an advocate for what matters. Born and raised on a farm in eastern Colorado, he fully supports agriculture and the return to educational sensibilities. As a well-respected former district attorney, he’s proven to be tough on crime and a conservative overseer of public funds. And though a Democrat by affiliation, Ritter will be able to work effectively on both sides of the aisle: witness the public support and endorsement he has received from a slew of Republican leaders, including district attorneys and state representatives, as well as from several organizations including the Colorado Subcontractors Association, the Denver Police Protective Association, Colorado Conservation Voters, the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police, the Colorado Professional Firefighters, and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. Additionally, he has been endorsed by the Denver Post, the Rocky Mountain News and the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

His opponent, Congressman Bob Beauprez, while a George Bush yes-man, is clearly out of touch with what Coloradoans want: a sensible health plan which current Gov. Bill Owens refuses to address; a strengthening of public education; a return to Colorado being a good place to conduct business; a realistic approach to the environment (one of Beauprez’s solutions? Change certain elk migratory patterns to allow for more gas and oil development on the Western Slope).

Former Governors McNichols, Love and Romer all served Custer County well, and none of the three ever forgot the importance of rural Colorado. Ritter has shown that he, too, will be a strong advocate of those things that remain important here.

Colorado – and Custer County -- deserve a Bill Ritter as our next governor.

October 08, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 5 - Holding Congressman Beauprez Accountable

Ritter Launches Web Feature in New Push to Hold Congressman Accountable

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today unveiled a new website feature – "Holding Congressman Beauprez Accountable" – and pledged to expose the GOP contender's inconsistent and inaccurate statements on the campaign trail.

"The Congressman is urging Coloradans to hold him accountable – and that's exactly what I intend to do," Ritter said. "Time after time, the Congressman says one thing in Colorado and does quite another in Washington.

The Congressman also has crossed the line and surpassed the limits of the truth several times along the campaign trail, and I won't let him get away with blatant mischaracterizations about my record or his prior actions either," Ritter added.

The new website feature contains sections on fiscal irresponsibility, education, senior citizens, veterans, agriculture, environmental conservation, health care, immigration, water, and energy. The feature will be updated whenever the Congressman's words or actions require it.

During a debate earlier this week, the Congressman wandered away from the truth several times:

  • Mexican ID cards known as "Matricula consular cards." The Congressman said he voted to allow banks to accept these cards "to preserve section 326 of the Patriot Act." In truth, his vote was not to strengthen national security, but rather to allow banks to profit from the use of unreliable I.D. cards. "The Department of Justice and the FBI have concluded that the Matricula Consular is not a reliable form of identification. … "(T)he terrorist threat presented by the Matricula Consular ... is (the) most worrisome," FBI Assistant Director Steve McCraw told a Congressional subcommittee in June 2003.
  • Matricula Consular Cards Part II: The Congressman acknowledged that his bank decided to accept the cards only after he left bank management, implying that the decision was out of his control. In truth, his wife is still a co-chair of the bank, together they own a controlling 23% interest in the bank, and will profit from the proposed sale of the bank for $72 million.
  • Raul Garcia-Gomez: Congressman Beauprez claimed that he introduced legislation that led to the swift return of now-convicted killer Raul Garcia-Gomez from Mexico to Colorado. In truth, Congressman Beauprez's political intervention nearly scuttled efforts by the Denver District Attorney's Office to extradite Garcia-Gomez from Mexico for prosecution. It was also during this time that Congressman Beauprez made this offensive remark, "I've vacationed in Mexico before. I know exactly what 'Mexican time' is."
  • Minimum Wage: The Congressman claims he supported a bill to increase the minimum wage because the proposal was "balanced." In truth, that minimum wage increase was tied to a tax break for 8,200 of the wealthiest Americans who would have received on average a $1.4 million tax break.

"There's nothing 'balanced' about that," Ritter said. "If the Congressman wants to continue making outlandish comments along the campaign trail, then he can bet I'll be there to hold him accountable."

October 08, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 5 - Congressman Continues Quest to Raise Sales Tax

Republican Congressman Beauprez continued his assault on Colorado families in Rifle yesterday, once again promoting his plan to increase the state sales tax by 25 percent.

During a gubernatorial debate centered on Colorado's energy future, the Congressman repeated his plan to increase the state's sales tax and eliminate the state's gas tax. Democratic candidate Bill Ritter called the plan about as hare-brained as the Congressman's "elk relocation plan."

Ritter said the Congressman's desire to increase the sales tax will hurt Coloradans on many levels. "A sales-tax increase is regressive," Ritter said. "His plan provides a benefit to people driving gas-guzzling SUVs and imposes a penalty on senior citizens and others who don't drive."

"We already have the 17th-highest overall sales-tax burden per capita in the country," Ritter added. "Any increase would force consumers to shop online and out-of-state, hurting local retailers. The economy is fragile enough. We don't need to be hurting retailers; we need to be helping them."

This isn't the first time the Congressman has proposed increasing the sales tax. In 2003, he co-sponsored a bill (H.R. 25) to replace the nation's income tax with a national sales tax estimated to be 23 percent on all new purchases and services. Congressman Beauprez also has proposed unlimited college tuition increases and reducing much-needed funding to repair our roads in order to accelerate a pending income-tax cut.

"Combine all of those ludicrous ideas with the fact that the Congressman has voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time and the fact that Congress has borrowed so much money we now have a $9 trillion debt ceiling and you can only come to one conclusion," Ritter said. "Congressman Beauprez is not a person who should be leading Colorado state government. We can’t afford him."

October 08, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 4 - Boulder Daily Camera Endorses Bill Ritter

In its Wednesday edition, the Boulder Daily Camera endorsed Bill Ritter for governor:

Here are a few noteworthy highlights:

"In this campaign, Ritter has produced a body of thoughtful position papers, outlining an encouraging set of priorities. Among the most ambitious is his suggestion for a health plan that would be available and accessible to all Coloradans. Health care for 180,000 uninsured children should be an immediate priority, Ritter rightly notes."

"Ritter is, in short, a moderate on most issues, someone who evinces a willingness to take his own positions irrespective of party dogma. The same cannot be said of Beauprez, an amiable and apparently decent man who has displayed a dismaying degree of blind partisanship."

"Colorado citizens need a governor who represents more than just the extreme wing of one party. They need a moderate, intelligent governor who is willing to act with deliberation and stand on principle. In this election, they should support Bill Ritter."

Click here to read the Daily Camera's entire endorsement.

October 08, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 2 - Eighty Wildlife Experts Endorse Bill

Sept_fishing

A bipartisan, statewide coalition of more than eighty former Colorado Division of Wildlife officials and employees have endorsed Bill Ritter for governor because of his support for sportsmen and his plans to protect Colorado’s great outdoors. The coalition includes the three most recent directors of the Division of Wildlife and six previous wildlife commissioners.

In addition, a group of Colorado wildlife biologists have released a sharply critical analysis of Congressman Beauprez's "elk relocation plan," which proposes to change wildlife migration patterns to allow for additional oil-and-gas drilling. The analysis has been submitted to newspapers across Colorado.

"We believe the future of wildlife and wildlife habitat is at a critical crossroads and it is time to chart a course that will bring more balance to Colorado's natural resource decisions," the endorsement letter states. "We want a Colorado Governor who understands the issues facing wildlife and wildlife habitat and has a sound conservation ethic."

"We think Mr. Ritter represents the right road for wildlife and wildlife habitat and is the best choice for Governor of Colorado and for the future of Colorado’s wildlife heritage," the letter states.

Ritter said he is honored to have the backing of so many well-respected wildlife leaders. "As a native Coloradan and an avid fisherman, I will serve as a stubborn steward of our land, air and water," Ritter said. "Hunters, anglers, and conservationists are critical to our way of life and our quality of life in Colorado. The people who have signed this letter have devoted their lives to wildlife conservation, and I will continue to draw on their expertise as governor."

The critique of Beauprez's "habitat initiative" was written by John W. Seidel, a retired Glenwood Springs Department of Wildlife Manager; Bob Elderkind, a former Bureau of Land Management range conservationist; and Dennis Bechler, a retired U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service mitigation specialist.

These wildlife experts found Beauprez’s plan deeply flawed: it ignores accepted habitat and wildlife recovery practices; its funding mechanisms are "wishful thinking;" and it expects wildlife to suddenly change thousands of years of migration patterns virtually overnight, rather than changing the way oil and gas companies drill in wildlife habitat.

"We are concerned about the cavalier 'plant it and they will come' attitude of Beauprez's habitat initiative. We know from experience that it is very difficult to create new, high quality big game habitat. … Also, it is difficult to get displaced animals to locate to new or improved habitats once they are in place, especially migration routes."

Click here to read the complete endorsement letter from statewide wildlife experts.

Click here to read the complete analysis of Congressman Beauprez's flawed habitat plan.

For more on Ritter’s wildlife and outdoor plans, please read "The Colorado Promise." (PDF file format requires Abobe Acrobat Reader.)

Read an additional article about Bill's support among outdoor enthusiasts:

October 02, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 1 - Denver Post Endorses Bill Ritter

The Denver Post today endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter as "the best choice for Colorado," citing his distinguished record as District Attorney, his pragmatic approach to problem-solving, and his bi-partisan appeal.

Today's editorial follows Friday's endorsement by the Rocky Mountain News. The state's two largest daily newspapers now join two of Western Colorado's most influential papers – the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel and Montrose Daily Press – as supporters of Ritter's campaign.

From the Post's endorsement editorial:

"We know (Ritter) as a tough prosecutor who served with distinction as Denver district attorney for 12 years."

"… Ritter – on the issues that matter most – stands up for Colorado."

"On the campaign trail, Ritter talks about his 'Colorado Promise,' a pledge to reach the state's fullest potential by reviving its education system, creating a health plan for the uninsured, and attracting new jobs, while modernizing our roads. Bob Beauprez seems stuck in the past. Bill Ritter has a plan that can take Colorado into a bright future."

The Post also said this about Congressman Beauprez, Ritter's Republican opponent:

"Based on fiscal aptitude or leadership abilities, Beauprez simply isn't qualified to succeed Owens."

"… (T)he congressman turned his back on this generation, (on) students who depend on affordable tuition and on community colleges ..."

"Holtzman tagged Beauprez with the nickname Both Ways Bob, and indeed when it comes to state fiscal policy, the congressman can't seem to land on the right track."

Click here to read the complete Denver Post endorsement.

Click here to read the Rocky Mountain News endorsement.

Click here to read the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel endorsement.(PDF file format.)

Click here to read the Montrose Daily Press endorsement.

October 02, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Sept 29 - Rocky Mountain News Endorses Bill Ritter

The Rocky Mountain News today endorsed Bill Ritter for governor. The Rocky is now the third Colorado newspaper to back the former Denver District Attorney.

"This newspaper has watched Ritter under fire and seen him take on new challenges," the Rocky's editorial declares. "In everything he does there's a certain steadiness that we believe Coloradans will find reassuring."

The paper cited Ritter's support for Referendum C; his balanced approach to transportation; his support for higher education and opposition to runaway tuition hikes; his commitment to serve as a gatekeeper of good public policy and not a rubber stamp for partisan legislation; and his promise to surround himself with smart managers.

The Rocky, which endorsed Congressman Beauprez in his two previous runs for the House, said it was disappointed in his gubernatorial campaign, citing Beauprez’s "unconvincing" opposition to Ref C, his "mysterious embrace and then repudiation of Amendment 38, and a couple of verbal gaffes. And for a long time it wasn’t clear why Beauprez even wanted to be governor."

Ritter said he was humbled to have earned the backing of one of Colorado’s largest and most influential media outlets. "I'm grateful that my campaign is continuing to build support all across the state," Ritter said. "This campaign is about fulfilling the Colorado Promise – leaving our children and grandchildren with a better Colorado and making the state a national leader in the 21st century."

"This campaign is not about left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative or blue vs. red," Ritter added. "This campaign is about giving hope and opportunity to all Coloradans, including those who are most cynical about government."

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel and the Montrose Daily Press endorsed Ritter earlier this month.

September 29, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Sept 28 - Beauprez Named to 'Dirty Dozen' List Again

Congressman Beauprez has renewed his membership to the notorious "Dirty Dozen" group of enemies of the environment, the first time a gubernatorial candidate has earned a spot on the annual list.

As reported in various media outlets today, the non-partisan League of Conservation Voters on Wednesday announced that the Congressman’s abysmal voting record on environmental issues led to once again naming him a member of Congress's "Dirty Dozen."

The League said the Congressman has issued pro-environment votes just 5 percent of the time during his tenure in Congress. They say the Congressman has voted to:

  • Exempt some oil and gas activities from water-protection laws.
  • Reduce royalty revenues going to Colorado communities to manage energy development impacts.
  • Subsidize oil companies at a time of record-breaking profits.
  • Oppose energy conservation measures such as increasing miles-per-gallon standards of new cars.

    • The Congressman’s wildlife relocation plan also continues to be ridiculed as further evidence of his anti-environment ideology. "Asking elk to change migration patterns is not a sound idea, and certainly points to Bob Beauprez's willingness to bend the laws of nature in an effort to further serve special interests," outfitter Jeff Mead said at yesterday’s news conference, according to the Glenwood Post-Independent.

    The Congressman first made the “Dirty Dozen” list in 2004. The League of Conservation Voters also has named Beauprez to “Tom's Tainted Team” for his support of now-resigned Republican leader Tom DeLay's anti-environmental agenda and for accepting money from DeLay.

    September 29, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 23 - KUSA-TV Requires Group to Delete Misleading Info from Attack Ad

    Denver-based TV station KUSA is requiring a Republican campaign committee to re-edit a negative attack ad against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter and remove misleading information.

    The station said it would require Coloradans for Justice to re-cut the ad, which began airing Thursday night. The ad contains inaccurate information about the length of time a defendant served in county jail. A CBS4 "Reality Check" also called portions of the ad "false" and "misleading."

    "Bill Ritter’s record as Denver’s District Attorney is certainly open to scrutiny during this campaign," Ritter’s campaign manager, Greg Kolomitz, said today. "But when Congressman Beauprez, the Trailhead Group, Coloradans for Justice, or any other political group mangles the truth, we will demand that they be held accountable and that the record is set straight."

    Earlier this month, a Denver television station and a radio station required Trailhead to re-edit another misleading ad that attacked Ritter’s record. Other media outlets around Colorado also have pulled Trailhead ads in other races.

    Ritter served as Denver’s District Attorney from 1993 to 2005. He achieved a 95 percent conviction rate and sent more than 12,000 criminals to state prison. His office handled more than 200,000 cases while he as District Attorney, and he received numerous awards for his work on behalf of victims. He created Victim Services 2000, Communities Against Senior Exploitation (CASE) and the Victim Services Network. He also served on the board of Project PAVE (Promoting Alternatives to Violence through Education).

    For more on Ritter’s record, click here.

    Read additional articles and commentary about Bill's opponents' callous exploitation of the case in their continuing pattern of distorting his record: (Sorted by date)

    September 25, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 22 - Ritter Releases Third TV Ad

    Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today launched his third television commercial of the campaign season. The 30-second spot highlights Ritter’s work as a prosecutor and challenges the attacks against his career as Denver’s District Attorney.

    The text of the spot:

    Announcer: "Newspapers call attacks on Bill Ritter’s record as district attorney ‘misleading,’ ‘distorted,’ ‘twisted.’ So who should be held accountable for these negative attacks on Bill Ritter?"

    Congressman Beauprez: "I'm Bob Beauprez. I want you to hold me accountable."

    Announcer: "The facts: Bill Ritter had a 95 percent conviction rate and locked up over 12,000 criminals."

    Bill Ritter: "For 12 years, my mission was to keep our community safe and to help victims put their lives back together. That’s what I’ll do as governor."

    Read additional commentary about Bill's third TV spot:

    September 24, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 22 - Congressman Beauprez Out of Step with Colorado Families

    Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter accused his Republican rival today of demonstrating a fundamental disregard for Colorado’s families by proposing tax hike after tax hike and unlimited increases in college tuition.

    "Congressman Beauprez's nonsensical ideas are exactly the kind of irresponsible Washington budgeting that resulted in the federal debt increasing by $2.5 trillion during his four years in Congress," Ritter said. "In Colorado, we have to balance our budget and live within our means. In Washington, their idea of budgeting means pulling out the credit card and mortgaging our future on the backs of our children and grandchildren."

    Over the past few weeks, Congressman Beauprez has proposed increasing the state’s sales tax and accelerating Referendum C’s income-tax cut.

    This isn’t the first time the Congressman has proposed increasing the sales tax. In 2003, he co-sponsored a bill (H.R. 25) to replace the nation’s income tax with a national sales tax estimated to be nearly 25 percent on all purchases, including food, medicine, housing, clothes and cars.

    Congressman Beauprez also has proposed deregulating the state's higher-education system, which would lead to unchecked increases in college tuition – placing a college education out of reach for even more of Colorado’s young people. It’s a plan even Republican Gov. Bill Owens opposes.

    Colorado already has the 17th-highest overall sales-tax burden per capita in the country. Any increase would force consumers to shop online and out-of-state, hurting local retailers. Ritter isn’t the only one questioning the wisdom of the Congressman’s plans.

    Here’s what The Denver Post said in a recent editorial: "Beauprez's sales tax hike could very well cost Coloradans jobs in the retail sector - and both sales and income tax revenue in the process. Hiking sales taxes to cut fuel and income taxes could cost Colorado retail jobs, reduce highway funding, and unnecessarily subsidize gas guzzlers. It's a losing trifecta."

    September 24, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 20 - Ritter Fundraising Crosses $3 Million Mark

    Democratic candidate raised $200K in first half of September

    Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter has crossed the $3 million fundraising threshold – another positive sign of Ritter's statewide appeal and forward momentum.

    In the Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 filing period, Ritter raised $197,000 and had $86,000 cash on hand. Through Sept. 13, Ritter has raised $2.9 million. He reached the $3 million mark on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

    Ritter, Denver's former District Attorney, set a new statewide fundraising record in August with a $606,000 total. "Bill's fundraising strength is simply a reflection of how well he’s connecting to voters across the state," campaign manager Greg Kolomitz said. "Bill has a clear plan about how to lead Colorado in the 21st century. That plan is called The Colorado Promise – the promise that we will leave our children and grandchildren a better Colorado."

    "Voters are tired of negative attack ads and partisan, Washington-style politics. They want someone like Bill Ritter who will solve problems and make Colorado a national leader in education, health care, jobs and renewable energy," Kolomitz said.

    January to March: $465,000
    April: $156,000
    May: $200,000
    June: $360,000
    July 1-12: $121,000
    July 13-26: $106,000
    July 27-Aug. 30: $606,000
    Aug. 31-Sept. 13: $197,000
    Fundraising Total:
    (As of Sept. 13)    		 $2.9 million

    Read additional articles and commentary about Bill's fundraising success:

    September 24, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 19 - Colorado Economy Focus of Second TV Ad

    Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today launched his second television commercial of the campaign season. The 30-second spot features Ritter’s personal background and his commitment to fiscal responsibility.

    As Denver’s District Attorney from 1993 to 2005, Ritter oversaw a budget that exceeded $15 million a year and hundreds of employees. He earned a national reputation for innovative financial planning, including maximizing the use of federal grants.

    Ritter’s fiscal responsibility plan for a “Smarter State Budget” is posted on his campaign website.

    September 19, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 14 - Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Endorses Bill

    Colorado, West Slope best served by Bill Ritter

    Thursday, September 14, 2006

    We noticed that both Bill Ritter and Bob Beauprez were wearing their cowboy boots when they trekked to Grand Junction last weekend to face off in the traditional, quadrennial gubernatorial debate sponsored by Club 20. Whew! Lucky for them. Had either one of the candidates been wearing anything so gauche as wingtips or penny loafers, they risked kissing the Western Slope vote good-bye.

    Among the entertaining aspects of the political campaign season — at least with respect to stumping for votes on the Western Slope — is the degree to which candidates go in their efforts to convince voters that their cowboy boots really fit, that they really are the best person to represent all Coloradans and stand foursquare against all that is e-e-e-vil in the state’s political culture. We’re talking, of course, about big, bad Denver.

    The Beauprez camp has sought to define Democrat Ritter as the big-city Denver guy while touting their ticket’s geographical diversity and self-proclaimed nexus with all of us hoi polloi out in the state’s hinterlands from Burlington and Grand Junction.

    Well, we see little geographical distinction between a suburban Denver congressman like Beauprez and a former Denver district attorney like Ritter. In point of fact, on issue after issue of central importance to Western Slope voters and all Coloradans, Ritter is the substantially better candidate. And even though we have little doubt that GOP-friendly Mesa County will favor Beauprez come Nov. 7, we heartily endorse Ritter for governor.

    We don’t hold it greatly against Beauprez that he was a staunch supporter of Referendum A two years ago, the $2-billion ballot question to build unspecified water projects throughout the state that failed to pass muster within any one of Colorado’s 64 counties. To be sure, as Denver’s district attorney, Ritter played no active opposition role against the misbegotten ballot question. What’s far more important than the candidates’ views regarding a two-year-old ballot question is the clarity of both men’s view about water development today.

    While both candidates clearly understand that an adequate water supply for all areas of the state is an issue of transcendent importance, Ritter makes it quite clear that he doesn’t believe transmountain water diversions from the Western Slope should be the answer to the Front Range’s water supply problems. Beauprez’s position on transmountain water diversions is far more ambiguous than Ritter’s, something that is not greatly surprising given the GOP candidate’s natural inclination to support Referendum A.

    Equally troubling is Beauprez’s clear-cut willingness to put the interests of the Bush administration’s domestic energy agenda, a legitimate enough concern as a public policy abstract, over the interests of the communities of Palisade and Grand Junction to keep their high-quality municipal watersheds free from natural gas drill rigs. Ritter, to his very great credit, has made it clear that, as governor, he would throw his support to Palisade and Grand Junction.

    Really, now. On the issue of water alone, which candidate is the Front Range candidate and which guy is the statewide candidate? We think the answer is obvious.

    Worrisome as Beauprez’s water positions are from a provincial West Slope perspective, we find them a study in logic compared to his willingness to co-sponsor legislation in Congress that, among other ill-considered provisions, proposed sharp reductions in the royalty payments paid by oil shale companies. Those revenues are crucial to help areas like Western Colorado accommodate all the many demands a burgeoning energy industry places on the public infrastructure. The same legislation sought to put oil shale development on a fast track, at a time when responsible companies like Shell Oil frequently say that they intend to be very deliberate in developing the company’s Mahogany Project in the Piceance Basin north of Rifle before making a commercial production decision late in this decade.

    For his part, Ritter has taken a stance of clear opposition to the bill that Beauprez is so willing to co-sponsor with pedal-to-the-metal oil shale booster, Rep. Richard Pombo of California. (Is there political hay to reap by casting a Colorado congressman as the political soulmate of those ne’er-do-well, down-basin congressmen from California? Just wondering.)

    We don’t believe that Ritter is correct on every single public-policy issue. We find it troubling that he is not willing to oppose a ballot question raising the statewide minimum wage to $6.85 an hour. We could support that. What’s crazy is putting the minimum wage in Colorado on automatic pilot by tying it to annual increases in inflation for every year thereafter.

    And we admit to a fondness for checks and balances in government and are persuaded by arguments that if Coloradans choose to elect Ritter while keeping both houses under majority control Ritter’s fellow party members, we do so at our own risk. Well, Colorado survived the depredations of an entirely GOP-dominated legislature and executive branch of government before the 2004 election quite nicely, thank you. The state will survive quite nicely under a Gov. Bill Ritter as well.

    Click here to visit the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

    Read additional commentary about the Daily Sentinel's endorsement:

    September 15, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 13 - Montrose Daily Press Endorses Bill Ritter

    Ritter for governor

    Daily Press Editorial

    With Gov. Bill Owens departing this November, change is coming to Colorado. It is in the hands of voters to make sure it’s a change for the better — and they can do that by voting for Bill Ritter.

    Ritter, a former Denver-area district attorney, has much to recommend him.

    He’s scrappy and, having supported his family as a teenager, knows that hard work is more than just a good sound bite for the campaign trail. He’s honest in his personal views concerning abortion, but willing to support the law of the land, Roe v. Wade, over his personal agenda. Ritter supported Referendum C, which temporarily set aside portions of the crippling Taxpayers Bill of Rights so the state could dig itself out of a fiscal hole.

    By contrast, Bob Beauprez opposed Referendum C. And while in Congress, he voiced support for Referendum A, a water storage measure with few specifics, which West Slope legislators rightly feared would send our water to the Front Range. Of late, it’s also been hard to overlook how often his foot turns up in his mouth.

    We also like Ritter’s progressive stance on crime. Though the Beauprez camp has dismissed Ritter’s work as DA as "hug a thug" policies, Ritter tackled white collar criminals as well as the "thugs." He also strengthened protection and services for crime victims and served as a federal prosecutor. His plea-bargain rate, about 97 percent, compares to the going rate across the state and reflects a judicial reality. A plea bargain is not a gift to a perpetrator; it is a tool that holds him or her responsible while sparing taxpayers the expense of a trial.

    Supporters also say Ritter would fight for non-Metro areas’ federal Highway User Tax Funds. The HUTF money helps maintain the roads on which we all drive — and upon which so many Montrose and other West Slope residents depend. There have been pushes to change the way in which HUTF money is allocated, by tying it to population or vehicle registration numbers. That would be a disaster in rural Colorado, which does not have the population base to compete with the metro area and Front Range.

    "If we change the funding to that, we lose," outgoing Republican Rep. Mark Larson says. Larson was one of several Republicans to cross the aisle to endorse Ritter; others include former Rep. Bill Kaufman and former Rep. Jim Johnson.

    Beauprez suggested cutting the state income tax from 4.62 to 4.5 percent — while he also suggested Colorado replace its 22-cent gas tax with a 1-percent sales tax increase. The proposal would, in fairness, raise more money, and the gas tax is, as Beauprez said, a declining revenue source. It’s still a tax increase. And his first proposal would hack more than $130 million from the transportation budget, while the second proposal seems an attempt to cover the first. Heck, not even Douglas Bruce liked the idea.

    Beauprez’s congressional record leaves much to be desired as well; we cannot forget that he voted to make the Patriot Act permanent, or that he supported tax breaks for the wealthy.

    Each candidate has drawbacks and advantages. To hardline conservatives, Beauprez doubtless has appeal, as does his choice for lieutenant governor. Hardline liberals may balk at Ritter’s abortion stance. But for those who want their governor to represent all of Colorado’s diverse interests, Ritter is the best choice.

    Click here to visit the Montrose Daily Press.

    September 13, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 13 - Ritter: Roadless Areas Deserve Interim Protections

    Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today called for interim protections for Colorado’s 4 million acres of roadless forest areas while state and federal officials review the recommendations from Colorado’s Roadless Area Task Force.

    "The Bush administration promised the states last year that roadless areas would be protected during the review process," Ritter said. "The process is far from over, but the federal government already has gone back on its word once and is about to do it again in November. States must be able to retain control – as promised – in this process."

    The Bureau of Land Management put about 15,000 to 20,000 acres of Colorado roadless areas on the auction block for possible oil-and-gas development last month. Another lease sale is scheduled for November. When Colorado’s 13-member bi-partisan task force issued its final recommendations to Gov. Owens earlier this Monday, it did not ask for interim protections. But Ritter is calling on Owens to request such protections from the federal government. Owens has until Nov. 13 to submit Colorado’s final recommendations to the federal government. He can forward the Task Force’s proposal as is or make modifications. Nearly all of the 3,020 comments submitted to the task force called for interim protections. It could take the federal government up to two years to finalize rules for which tracts of federal lands can be opened for development of new roads, which will support activities such as logging, mining and oil-and-gas drilling.

    "It is vital that we protect our roadless forest areas while the federal government makes a final determination about which roadless areas to open for development," Ritter said. "We have too much to lose if we don’t."

    Read additional commentary and articles about protecting Colorado's roadless areas: (Sorted by date)

    September 13, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 13 - Beauprez Skipping Congressional Votes

    Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today criticized Congressman Beauprez for continuing to draw his congressional salary even though he clearly is no longer representing the people of the 7th Congressional District.

    "The Congressman yesterday announced his 'Colorado Accountability Pledge' so that the people of Colorado can hold him accountable should he win this election," Ritter said. "Let's hold him accountable today: Why is he collecting a taxpayer salary even though the people of the 7th CD are clearly getting nothing in return?"

    "The Congressman likes to say that people should get a dollar's worth of value for every dollar they pay in taxes," Ritter added. "Since the taxpayers aren't getting a dollar's worth of value from the Congressman, he should return the taxpayers’ money."

    Members of Congress earn a base salary of $165,200 a year. Congress returned to session after a five-week summer recess on Sept. 5. Congressman Beauprez skipped all of last week’s session and as of Tuesday had not returned to Washington. He has missed 11 votes in less than two weeks.

    Among the votes he missed were measures to help lower the costs of prescription drugs for veterans (HR 5122) and to re-authorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (HR 5539) – both of which would have direct impacts here in Colorado.

    Back in January, a Denver Post editorial criticized the Congressman for abandoning Colorado to run for governor. "The Congressman has most certainly abandoned the people of his district – and now he's abandoned veterans and the conservation and sportsmen communities over his recent missed votes," Ritter said. "He should either return to Congress or return the taxpayers’ money. He can’t have it both ways."

    Read additional articles and commentary on this topic:

    September 13, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 10 - Ritter Triples Beauprez Fundraising In August

    Ritter generated $606K, compared with Congressman’s $217K

    Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter nearly tripled Congressman Beauprez’s fundraising totals in August, another indication of Ritter’s statewide strength and momentum with less than 60 days until the election.

    According to today’s Colorado Springs Gazette, the Republican Congressman raised just $217,000 in August, bringing his fundraising total for the entire campaign to $2.3 million. Ritter raised $606,000 in August, for a total of $2.7 million raised since last year and catapulting him solidly into the fundraising lead.

    "Bill’s statewide strength is growing and growing as the election gets closer and closer," Ritter campaign manager Greg Kolomitz said. "He’s now traveled to each of Colorado’s 64 counties at least once and voters are really excited about Bill’s plan to fulfill the Colorado Promise and establish Colorado as a 21st leader in education, health care, jobs, transportation, and renewable energy."

    Ritter has out-raised Congressman Beauprez all year. Here are Ritter’s fundraising totals broken down by reporting period:

    • January to March: $465,000
    • April: $156,000
    • May: $200,000
    • June: $360,000
    • July 1-12: $121,000
    • July 13-26: $106,000
    • July 27-Aug. 30: $606,000

    Read articles and commentary about the campaign's fundraising efforts: (Sorted by date)

    September 12, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 6 - Ritter Launches Grassroots House Parties

    Gubernatorial contender Bill Ritter today announced a new grassroots House Party fundraising program that will let thousands of Coloradans directly help his statewide candidacy. The "50 for 50" initiative, which suggests a $50-per-person fundraising goal, kicks off today on Ritter's 50th birthday.

    The Internet-supported program allows supporters to host their own modest fundraising event with the support of a web-based house party kit from Ritter’s campaign website, www.ritterforgovernor.com. The program will debut statewide tonight. House parties will be held across Colorado, and each party will connect by phone for a special kick-off conference call with Ritter. House Party hosts also will be provided with a special five-minute campaign DVD to play during their parties.

    "Thousands of people across Colorado want to do more than just vote for Bill," Ritter campaign manager Greg Kolomitz said. "People are constantly asking us, 'What can I do to help?' Hosting a fundraising party for friends, family and neighbors is an easy way to get involved, to make a difference in Colorado’s future and to help fulfill the Colorado Promise."

    Kolomitz said every dollar raised will help spread Ritter’s message across the state. The campaign has raised $2.7 million thus far, including $600,000 in August.

    The House Party program guides hosts through the process of putting together a successful event. Fundraising goals are low, and the program is designed to include as many people as possible in the campaign without any fundraising pressure, Kolomitz said.

    September 06, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 5 - Bill Ritter's First TV Ad

    Read commentary and reactions to Bill's first television ad:

    September 05, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Sept 1 - GOP Prosecutors Denounce Trailhead Attack Ad

    Colorado Fraternal Order of Police endorses Ritter as tough crime-fighter

    Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter and Republican prosecutors from around Colorado today denounced the latest attack on Ritter's record as Denver District Attorney. The attack was launched last night in the form of a new 30-second TV spot paid for by the Trailhead Group.

    "My record as a prosecutor is crystal clear: Our office won a conviction in 95 percent of the felony cases we filed," said Ritter, who today was endorsed by the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police for his commitment to public safety and crime-fighting. "We sent more than 12,000 criminals -- murderers, rapists, violent gang members, and other habitual offenders -- to prison. These aren't numbers that I brag about, but they also aren't numbers that I apologize for. We protected the public and this latest ad is not just an attack on my record, but on Colorado's entire law enforcement community."

    "The voters of Colorado deserve and should demand honesty from those running for office and those engaging in the political arena," said Ritter, who was appointed District Attorney during Denver's "Summer of Violence" in 1993.

    Ritter said the Trailhead spot perpetuates inaccuracies tha