AURORA | The 2016 presidential caucus clearly foreshadowed what was coming to Colorado and elections across the country, a progressive movement.
Bernie Sanders was preferred among Colorado voters in 2016. He captured 59 percent of the caucus vote, with similar or larger leads in places such as Boulder, Denver and Larimer counties.
Since, several “Bernie-crats” — as they’ve been dubbed — have been emboldened to run in some of Colorado’s most purple parts, including Aurora. Politicos agree true progressives, candidates who align closely with the ideas Sanders touted in 2016, have a future in Colorado.
But whether the time is now is up for debate.
“Yeah, Sanders was a bit left to (Hillary) Clinton. But Bernie supporters weren’t always left to Clinton. Some are pretty centrist,” said University of Denver political science professor Seth Masket.
He said that the definition of “progressive” gets a little fuzzy and makes it hard to pinpoint what success the usually self-described candidates will have, particularly after this year’s primary losses from candidates like Levi Tillemann, a congressional candidate in Aurora, and Joe Salazar, the state representative who vied for a chance to challenge George Brauchler in the attorney general race. Saira Rao, a first-generation Indian-American, couldn’t defeat Congresswoman Diana DeGette in the primary either.
For Republicans, the “progressive” term is actually kind of helpful, said Rich Sokol, chair of the Arapahoe County Republican Party.
“I would say that it’s an accurate description of how far left the Democratic party has moved,” he said, adding that he believes those progressive values aren’t what most people in Arapahoe County or even Colorado hold as their own.
Susan Gilbert, the Denver chapter leader of Progressive Democrats of America, explained that “progressive” is used loosely sometimes. But to her and a lot of people who consider themselves progressive, their views land on the political spectrum as the “Democratic wing of the Democratic party.” True progressives support Medicare for all — not just a broad universal healthcare plan — they put the environment high on their priority list, and they have a passion for social justice.
“I think there’s a future for them, but I don’t think it will be immediate,” Gilbert said of people who match that description.
Progressive Vote Colorado, the endorsement arm of the organization, supported Tillemann during the CD6 primary. He lost to fellow Democrat Jason Crow, who garnered 66 percent of the vote among district Democrats.
Masket said moderate candidates in both parties tend to do better in purple districts, and political parties tend to try to nominate candidates who fit that bill. Tillemann gained national attention for his progressive platform after calling out the Democratic Congressional Candidate Committee for backing a candidate before the primary election.
Most notably, Tillemann, an Obama-administration clean energy expert, released a recording of a meeting he had with Congressman Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House who revealed the path to the general election was already paved for Crow.
“I am for Crow because a judgment was made very early on. I didn’t know Crow. I didn’t participate in the decision. But a decision was made early on by the Colorado delegation,” Hoyer said on the recording.
Gilbert said that early support from the party is a problem for progressive candidates and for voters, too. They should be able to decide on the candidate before the party does, she said.
Tillemann’s Internet fame from using pepper spray on himself as a way to prove it could stop a gunman wasn’t helpful either, said Donna Smith, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America.
“That sort of video could label you as fringe,” Smith said. “And progressive doesn’t mean fringe.”
Despite some defeat in June, Gilbert and Smith, see some glimmer of hope.
They said they consider Jared Polis, the Boulder congressman running for Colorado governor, a progressive. More specifically: “A progressive with a few asterisks.”
Smith said she’d like to see more of a focus on the environment, but is overall supportive of the candidate.
They also point to three women elected to Aurora City Council last year who identify as progressives. Crystal Murillo, Allison Hiltz and Nicole Johnston are all graduates of the Emerge Colorado program that helps prepare women Democrats to run for office in Colorado.
Last year, there were nine Emerge alumni on ballots in Colorado. This year, there are 24. That’s a clear indicator progressives are on the move, said Michal Rosenoer, executive director of Emerge Colorado.
“We only expect that trajectory to increase,” Rosenoer said, pointing out that one office is not the only stop for these graduates; which is why candidates down ballot — like the three city council women in Aurora — are just as important to watch, even if those seats are non-partisan.
Smith and Gilbert agree. They like seeing those successes, too, in the wake of the 2016 election.
“We’re not trying to vilify other Democrats,” Smith said. “We’ve got to pull together to beat this mess. That’s job one.”