You’re about 40 years old. You and your spouse make close to $55,000 a year. About half of you are white, but the rest of you are either black, Latino or Asian. And you’re worried about how you’re going to hold onto what you’ve got.
As part of the shrinking middle class in Aurora, and the nation, both candidates for the 6th Congressional District would pretty much have your back on economics if you send them to Washington. But only one of the candidates would vote on most issues the same way you would, and that’s Andrew Romanoff.
Aurora has changed. Twenty-five years ago, the city stood firm behind conservative Sen. Bill Armstrong. Much of the town had some connection to the military. And most of Aurora had to drive somewhere else for work.
Now Aurora is bigger, younger, better educated, a little wealthier, and far more culturally and ethnically diverse. Every state legislator in the city is a Democrat. Aurora elected Barack Obama president. Twice. Aurora overwhelmingly agreed to end marijuana prohibition. Like most of the new West, Aurora is socially progressive leaning fiscally conservative.
When Coffman first went to Congress to represent a very different district, drawn farther south as a conservative stronghold, his votes, rhetoric and opinions played well to those constituents. But they’re gone. He cannot dismiss the fact that he once railed against any form of a path-to-citizenship as part of immigration reform. And although he has softened his stance, it’s aligned with where the GOP now stands on that issue. That’s not where the district stands. He cannot hide from the fact that he has been a strong ally of the anti-abortion movement, once supported so-called “personhood” measures, and has voted as a member of Congress for measures that pro-choice proponents find dangerous to women’s constitutional right to medical privacy. Coffman has repeatedly made it clear he supported the so-called “Hobby Lobby” Supreme Court decision, allowing employers to impose their religious convictions on employee health-care plans. Coffman cannot hide from statements and votes supporting an effort to deny dignity to gay members of the military who asked only to be open about their sexual orientation as they proudly served. Likewise, he has repeatedly supported the notion of marriage being a right exclusive to heterosexuals, denying dignity and the constitutional rights of gay Americans to marry whom they choose.
During the past year, Coffman has worked hard to deflect attention from those issues, saying much of these are state matters, even though they regularly take up time and votes in Congress. Rather than be candid about it and campaign on his conservative politics, Coffman has worked hard to camouflage it. His voting record and work in Congress are nothing to be ashamed of, especially on military matters, it just doesn’t mirror the politics of the district.
As the next Congress tries, again, to take up the matters of health care, immigration, Medicare, equal pay, federal spending, student aid, new energy development and the limitation of corporate greed and influence, Andrew Romanoff’s record and goals reflect what the district wants and needs. He offers a path forward that makes sense for all of Aurora.
No more gridlock. It’s time to send representatives to Washington who represent who we are, and what we want. The majority of Aurora voters want government out of our personal lives. We want affordable college and skills training. We want to create a path to citizenship for almost all hard-working illegal immigrants and create a system that allows others to come here for work when there are jobs and go home when there aren’t. We like the changes made to health-insurance laws, but we want more changes so the insurance is affordable. We want to know that Congress will protect everyone’s civil rights and not erode them. We want a Congress that doesn’t discriminate against anyone, or impose the religious views of some on everyone. We want Congress to quit denying the facts about global climate change and act now to deal with it.
Romanoff is a forthright leader who wants what his district wants, and we need to send him to Congress to make it happen.
Stop the presses, The ultra liberal Aurora Sentinel supports a Democrat.
The right wingers in Colorado are too extreme. Conservatism is a mental illness.
Really, mental illness? Wanting to follow the constitution, create equal opportunity for everyone, to give handups and not handouts, and protecting our sovereignty is now a mental condition. I guess I have it. Thank you for helping me with the diagnosis.
low information coservatard. Get your tissues ready for Gardner’s concession speech
Brilliant!
CRAZY TALK!!!
I suspect the vast majority of folks on mental disability are extreme liberals … just my observation.
The Aurora Sentinel gets it. Coffman represents the people who were born in Aurora before 1950. Romanoff represents everyone else.
On second thought, many seniors take part-time minimum wage jobs in their retirement years to supplement their fixed incomes and Coffman is against raising the minimum wage. Even seniors can’t count on him.
Mike Coffman has my vote … Andrew Romanoff is too far to the left for Aurora!!
Coffman is too far right. That’s why he’s not being endorsed by the aurora sentinel.
The Aurora sentinel only endorses Democrats. The Sentinal is against republicans, Christians and GOD.
In spite of the fact that I am an old white guy, for the sake of my kids and the bulk of CD6, I am voting for Andrew Romanoff. Romanoff understands what the hard working middle is all about. Romanoff understands immigration and job creation. Coffman is great for the military but does not serve the common CD6 resident.
Somehow I am missing something in this. Two largest employers in Aurora is Buckley AFB, and the full complex bounded by I-225, Colfax, Fitzsimons Parkway, and Peoria on West side, much of that military, civil service, and others. New VAMC being built – 55% to 59% completed, with all of us old, retired military guys and families, and you tell us the newbies are more educated, with more assets, and more clout. Somehow that does not compute. I will admit we only have one paper (Aurora Sentinel) which is Democrat and extremely liberal. But somehow, counting Republicans and Democrats, is ignoring the Independents and minority parties. Now Romanoff may understand tweeting, freebies, and all the liberal stuff, since that is downtown Denver, except in the big money areas. But I don’t see him more knowledgeable in the marital areas, family working and paying taxes, overseeing school age children which the middle class does. I don’t see him as having been middle class during his life, but he has certainly skated by studies in South America, and other activities before he decided on political life. No working with hands that I know of, no military experience, and just sending another Democrat to Washington does not help. That is reason for gridlock now, with Senate setting on bills, in do nothing scheme. Blame Republicans, but they are blocked, same as Colorado Capitol now. I don’t see that as a blessing, and it surely does hurt my retirement that I worked so hard for. Really though I had planned well, but never expected such expenses in my 80s. .
I agree. How is Romanoff planning on paying for all the freebees he is telling the voters in Aurora that he will give them? Hirer taxes!!!!!! Just think what he did to Colorado when he ran Colorado’s legislature – He raised our taxes more than anyone else ever has. Romanoff couldn’t get elected to the US house from Denver, so he moved to Aurora to specifically run for office in Dist. 6. He has never lived in Aurora before. DOES AURORA WANT TO ELECT A DENVER REJECT to represent our City? I sure know I don’t. Coffman has lived in and supported Aurora for many years. He has grown up in our city, he knows our city. Why on earth would we want to elect someone who has never lived here until he decided to find a place to get back into politics. Romanoff is a Denver Democrat who couldn’t get elected in the Denver district and couldn’t get elected in the State of Colorado in the Senate. COFFMAN IS THE MAN.
when I moved to Aurora (Hoffman Heights) in 1976, the area was all military—now its one of the most diverse areas with white/black/latino and asian. The world has changed…Andrew Romanoff gets it—Mike Coffman does not.
How does Romanoff get it? I don’t see it. His political ads are full of lies. If he lies in political ads, do you think he will be honest with voters? He is a career politician who hasn’t done much of anything else in his life and he is looking for a place to land. He has had an elit upbringing. Spent many years “going to school”. He likes to spend money – yours. He is not for illegal immigrants – check his record in the Colorado legislature. He knows nothing about the military which is a big contributor to Aurora’s economy. Also, by having no military experience, how capable is he to know what would be good military decisions regarding the “hot spots” around the world or even what type of military we need to keep – both soldiers and equipment. COFFMAN has all the necessary knowledge to address the problems facing our country and state and district. Coffman is getting to know the citizens that are now in his district. Many of his stands are evolving as he gets to know these new voters. He has done much for the state of Colorado, the United States and district 6. Aurora needs someone who is honest and Romanoff doesn’t fit the bill!!!!!!
Another statist tool
Thank you, Aurora Sentinel. Your endorsement of Andrew Romanoff is spot on. He does, more accurately, represent the residents of Aurora.
For those same reasons I think you should endorse Nancy Cronk for House District 37. HD 37 includes Centennial and some unincorporated parts of southern Arapahoe County with Aurora mailing addresses.
Nancy Cronk is a twice-elected board member of the Cunningham Fire Protection District, which serves 70,000 Arapahoe County residents. She recognizes the grave threat of wildfire in Colorado and is committed to improving the state’s wildfire readiness and response.
Over the last twenty years, she has dedicated herself to fighting for numerous causes including education, health care and marriage equality and has volunteered for numerous issues facing Arapahoe County, the city of Centennial, and the Cherry Creek School District.
Nancy understands Arapahoe County, and the people who live here. She would represent us well in the Colorado House.
Yours,
Steve Justino
8673 E. Long Place
Centennial, CO 80112
How does Romanoff more accurately represent the city of Aurora? I don’t see it! He sure doesn’t represent me and my family and neighbors.