In the race to be the state’s next Attorney General, Aurora voters will recognize the two faces squaring off. Democrat Don Quick, the former district attorney for Adams County, is running against Republican Cynthia Coffman, the current No. 2 in the AG’s office and wife of longtime Aurora politician Congressman Mike Coffman. The winner will replace Republican John Suthers, who was appointed to the seat in 2005 and elected in 2006 and 2010.
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Quick, Coffman square off for state’s open attorney general position
By BRANDON JOHANSSON, Staff Writer
After almost a decade as Colorado Attorney General, John Suthers is leaving office this year because of term limits. But even with Suthers’ name absent from the ballots this fall, Aurora voters will see two familiar names in his place, as well as two candidates who are very familiar with the AG’s office.
On the Democrat side, former deputy AG under Ken Salazar and former Adams County District Attorney Don Quick is running.
For the Republicans, Suthers’ longtime deputy, Cynthia Coffman, is seeking to replace her current boss. Coffman is married to longtime Aurora Congressman Mike Coffman.
Much of the campaign has centered on questions about gay marriage, questions that are now largely moot because of the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear lower courts’ rulings allowing gay marriage.
Aside from the gay marriage fight, the two have actually found some common ground when it comes to forming a unit dedicated to fighting political corruption.
Coffman said she wants to create a public integrity unit to handle those cases, which today are typically handled by local district attorneys.
“I think it’s really important to have a separate, elected constitutional office so you have independence,” she said.
Quick said he also wants the AG to tackle more corruption cases. Quick said Coffman hasn’t done enough as Deputy AG to tackle the issue.
As a district attorney, Quick prosecuted several Adams County Democrats, something he says proves he will be willing to go after corruption regardless of party.
“As a prosecutor, I don’t do partisan politics,” he said.
Quick has said protecting the environment is a top priority and has said he would not continue Suthers’ efforts against health care reform.
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FROM BALLOTPEDIA:
Originally appointed in 2005 to fill a vacancy in the office, current Republican Colorado Attorney General John Sutherswent on to win two full terms in 2006 and 2010. He is barred by term limits from running for a third consecutive term, leaving the attorney general seat open in the 2014 elections.
The seat was first marked as “vulnerable” to partisan switch in a March 2013 report Governing put together about the 2014 attorney general elections.[3] In December, the same publication rated the race a “tossup.” Out of a total of 31attorney general seats up for election nationwide in 2014, only four received this rating, including Colorado. The others were Arizona, Arkansas and Wisconsin.[4] Against the backdrop of Colorado’s “purple” partisan landscape, statewide races are flagged as competitive early on because major party organizations and other interests get involved in order to exert influence over state government.
In this case, Democratic Party forces have placed their faith and money in the campaign of Don Quick, a career prosecutor whom Governing called “a strong contender to flip the seat.”[3] Quick previously served as District Attorney for the 17th Judicial District, which includes Adams County, and spent six years as deputy attorney general under Suthers’ predecessor, Democrat Ken Salazar.[5][1]
Also vying to succeed Suthers as Colorado’s chief legal officer is Republican contender Cynthia Coffman. Coffman currently serves as chief deputy under Suthers. Coffman’s husband, Mike Coffman (R), is a three-term U.S. Representative from Colorado’s 6th Congressional District and a former Colorado Secretary of State.[6][1] Like Quick, she has the connections and access to deep pockets necessary for running a legitimate statewide campaign.
Quick and Coffman were uncontested for their respective party nominations in the June 24 primary and advanced automatically to the general election.Libertarian attorney and party activist David K. Williams is the only third party candidate on the November ballot.
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Originally appointed in 2005 to fill a vacancy in the office, current Republican Colorado Attorney General John Sutherswent on to win two full terms in 2006 and 2010. He is barred by term limits from running for a third consecutive term, leaving the attorney general seat open in the 2014 elections.
The seat was first marked as “vulnerable” to partisan switch in a March 2013 report Governing put together about the 2014 attorney general elections.[3] In December, the same publication rated the race a “tossup.” Out of a total of 31attorney general seats up for election nationwide in 2014, only four received this rating, including Colorado. The others were Arizona, Arkansas and Wisconsin.[4] Against the backdrop of Colorado’s “purple” partisan landscape, statewide races are flagged as competitive early on because major party organizations and other interests get involved in order to exert influence over state government.
In this case, Democratic Party forces have placed their faith and money in the campaign of Don Quick, a career prosecutor whom Governing called “a strong contender to flip the seat.”[3] Quick previously served as District Attorney for the 17th Judicial District, which includes Adams County, and spent six years as deputy attorney general under Suthers’ predecessor, Democrat Ken Salazar.[5][1]
Also vying to succeed Suthers as Colorado’s chief legal officer is Republican contender Cynthia Coffman. Coffman currently serves as chief deputy under Suthers. Coffman’s husband, Mike Coffman (R), is a three-term U.S. Representative from Colorado’s 6th Congressional District and a former Colorado Secretary of State.[6][1] Like Quick, she has the connections and access to deep pockets necessary for running a legitimate statewide campaign.
Quick and Coffman were uncontested for their respective party nominations in the June 24 primary and advanced automatically to the general election.Libertarian attorney and party activist David K. Williams is the only third party candidate on the November ballot.
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Campaign finances from Colorado Secretary of State
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Campaign finances from Colorado Secretary of State
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[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”Cynthia Coffman Endorsements“]
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