| LovelandPolitics.com |
| 5 Candidates Now Seeking House District 51 Seat Mayor Pielin Is Marostica's Choice |
Loveland - July 31, 2009
The recent resignation by Colorado State House Rep. Don Marostica has resulted in a vacancy
in Colorado House District 51 that now needs to be filled for the remaining 1-year left on
Marostica’s 2-year term.
Kevan McNaught, Marostica’s primary rival in 2006, has announced today he will officially
seek the nomination by the Larimer County Republican vacancy committee charged with
making the appointment. Republican activist Tom Buchanan has also thrown his hat in the
ring along with Gene Pielin, Kari Koppes and Brian Del Grosso, owner of a local Domino's
Pizza.
The appointment will be made by the some 80 member Larimer County Republican Party
vacancy committee which is comprised of precinct committee members from within House
District 51. That group is called the 51st Representative District Republican Central
Committee and is headed by Loveland resident Carl Smith.
The vacancy committee meeting will be held Thursday August 13, 2009 at 7:00 pm
in Loveland’s Pulliam Building in downtown Loveland beginning at 6:00 PM. The public is
welcome to attend. Pictures from the last Republican vacancy meeting held in the Pulliam last
January to fill Johnson's senate seat can be seen here.
Kevan McNaught
Kevan McNaught, a financial advisor for First National Investments and Planning, lost to
Marostica by only 260 votes in a primary where Marostica dumped over $150,000 of his own
money to get elected. In contrast, McNaught spent just over $10,000.
McNaught also has served on the Larimer County Republican Party Executive Board and was
appointed to Loveland’s Cizitizen Finance Advisory Committee in 2007. State Senator Kevin
Lundberg supported McNaught’s previous attempt at elected office and is expected to support
McNaught again in this contest. Lundberg’s support will be crucial as he was appointed to his
current State Senate, in part, by his party’s precinct members in Colorado House District 51
who will be voting on Marostica’s replacement.
If the Larimer County Republicans fail to appoint a replacement within 30 days, the decision
than goes to the Governor of Colorado. Because Governor Ritter is a Democrat the
Republicans are unlikely to allow this to happen.
Gene Pielin
Rep. Don Marostica is rumored to be promoting Loveland Mayor Gene Pielin who has
announced he isn’t seeking another term in office as Mayor of Loveland only twenty months
after being elected to that office. Sources close to Pielin have informed LovelandPolitics he is
already preparing to seek the State House District 51 appointment but struggling to find a
credible Republican to make his nomination.
Pielin’s primary backer, Rep. Don Marostica, is problematic as he is seen by many party
regulars more as a Benedict Arnold than moderate Republican. During the past legislative
session Marostica made headlines across Colorado when he called Republican leaders “losers”
and “has beens” while trying to cozy-up to Democrats in the State House and Governor’s
mansion.
Marostica is also responsible, according to party insiders, with sinking Loveland businessman
Mike Lynch’s nomination to the State Senate seat by nominating Mike Lynch to fill Steve
Johnson’s vacated State Senate seat last year. Then State House District 49 Rep. Kevin
Lundberg handily won a landslide of delegate votes following an awkward nominating speech
of Lynch by Marostica who has become uncomfortable speaking to Republican audiences.
Republicans who become active in party politics are often more conservative than the rank and
file and were least likely to support Marostica's barrage of verbal attacks against his own
party. Candidates for Marostica's seat will need to find common ground with the delegates to
be appointed by showing some conservative or even just Republican credentials.
Mayor Pielin will have a tough time meeting this criteria. As a staunch opponent of Colorado's
Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), Pielin has used his mayor's seat as a bully pulpit to attack
fellow Republicans not favoring new taxes or other initiatives he supported.
Pielin used his position as Loveland’s Mayor to attack former Congresswoman Musgrave for
trying to get tough on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Pielin, a national spokesperson
for a nursery association, has been critical of any attempts by federal officials to stop people in
his profession from hiring illegal workers.
On Loveland’s City Council Pielin has championed government subsidized housing, an
increase in sales taxes and the newly proposed lodging tax for Loveland. In addition, Pielin
has been an unabashed partisan for the McWhinney Corp. on Loveland’s city council voting to
provide the McWhinney’s with approximately ½ billion dollars in future city tax revenues over
the next 25 years. McWhinney's metro district now has liabilities that exceed assets by over
$40 million not to mention a staggering $112 million public debt that Loveland taxpayers will
be required to payback over the next 25 years.
The recent resignation by Colorado State House Rep. Don Marostica has resulted in a vacancy
in Colorado House District 51 that now needs to be filled for the remaining 1-year left on
Marostica’s 2-year term.
Kevan McNaught, Marostica’s primary rival in 2006, has announced today he will officially
seek the nomination by the Larimer County Republican vacancy committee charged with
making the appointment. Republican activist Tom Buchanan has also thrown his hat in the
ring along with Gene Pielin, Kari Koppes and Brian Del Grosso, owner of a local Domino's
Pizza.
The appointment will be made by the some 80 member Larimer County Republican Party
vacancy committee which is comprised of precinct committee members from within House
District 51. That group is called the 51st Representative District Republican Central
Committee and is headed by Loveland resident Carl Smith.
The vacancy committee meeting will be held Thursday August 13, 2009 at 7:00 pm
in Loveland’s Pulliam Building in downtown Loveland beginning at 6:00 PM. The public is
welcome to attend. Pictures from the last Republican vacancy meeting held in the Pulliam last
January to fill Johnson's senate seat can be seen here.
Kevan McNaught
Kevan McNaught, a financial advisor for First National Investments and Planning, lost to
Marostica by only 260 votes in a primary where Marostica dumped over $150,000 of his own
money to get elected. In contrast, McNaught spent just over $10,000.
McNaught also has served on the Larimer County Republican Party Executive Board and was
appointed to Loveland’s Cizitizen Finance Advisory Committee in 2007. State Senator Kevin
Lundberg supported McNaught’s previous attempt at elected office and is expected to support
McNaught again in this contest. Lundberg’s support will be crucial as he was appointed to his
current State Senate, in part, by his party’s precinct members in Colorado House District 51
who will be voting on Marostica’s replacement.
If the Larimer County Republicans fail to appoint a replacement within 30 days, the decision
than goes to the Governor of Colorado. Because Governor Ritter is a Democrat the
Republicans are unlikely to allow this to happen.
Gene Pielin
Rep. Don Marostica is rumored to be promoting Loveland Mayor Gene Pielin who has
announced he isn’t seeking another term in office as Mayor of Loveland only twenty months
after being elected to that office. Sources close to Pielin have informed LovelandPolitics he is
already preparing to seek the State House District 51 appointment but struggling to find a
credible Republican to make his nomination.
Pielin’s primary backer, Rep. Don Marostica, is problematic as he is seen by many party
regulars more as a Benedict Arnold than moderate Republican. During the past legislative
session Marostica made headlines across Colorado when he called Republican leaders “losers”
and “has beens” while trying to cozy-up to Democrats in the State House and Governor’s
mansion.
Marostica is also responsible, according to party insiders, with sinking Loveland businessman
Mike Lynch’s nomination to the State Senate seat by nominating Mike Lynch to fill Steve
Johnson’s vacated State Senate seat last year. Then State House District 49 Rep. Kevin
Lundberg handily won a landslide of delegate votes following an awkward nominating speech
of Lynch by Marostica who has become uncomfortable speaking to Republican audiences.
Republicans who become active in party politics are often more conservative than the rank and
file and were least likely to support Marostica's barrage of verbal attacks against his own
party. Candidates for Marostica's seat will need to find common ground with the delegates to
be appointed by showing some conservative or even just Republican credentials.
Mayor Pielin will have a tough time meeting this criteria. As a staunch opponent of Colorado's
Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), Pielin has used his mayor's seat as a bully pulpit to attack
fellow Republicans not favoring new taxes or other initiatives he supported.
Pielin used his position as Loveland’s Mayor to attack former Congresswoman Musgrave for
trying to get tough on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Pielin, a national spokesperson
for a nursery association, has been critical of any attempts by federal officials to stop people in
his profession from hiring illegal workers.
On Loveland’s City Council Pielin has championed government subsidized housing, an
increase in sales taxes and the newly proposed lodging tax for Loveland. In addition, Pielin
has been an unabashed partisan for the McWhinney Corp. on Loveland’s city council voting to
provide the McWhinney’s with approximately ½ billion dollars in future city tax revenues over
the next 25 years. McWhinney's metro district now has liabilities that exceed assets by over
$40 million not to mention a staggering $112 million public debt that Loveland taxpayers will
be required to payback over the next 25 years.
| LovelandPolitics Exclusive Story |
| Kevan McNaught |
| Mayor Gene Pielin |
| State House Rep. Don Marostica Quits Now he will work for Democrat Governor Bill Ritter running economic development. see commentary on the BLOG |