Forty Years Ago This Week: The newly formed Pro-Denver initiative was being touted as “the most ambitious effort made by Republicans to win the hearts and minds of Denverites in many years,” according to one of its founders, Sue McGinley.

Since its founding early in the year, Pro-Denver had grown to 150 paid members and the largely Republican membership included a smattering of Democrats and unaffiliated voters, as well.

The organization was the brainchild of Denver County Republican Chair Gloria Collin, Doug Jones, and McGinley. During their first year they had hosted a Phipps tennis match between mayoral candidates Federico Peña and Dale Tooley and sponsored an evening with U.S. Sen. Bill Armstrong and U.S. Reps. Dan Schaefer, (R-CD6) and Ken Kramer (R-CD5).

While McGinley claimed that Denver was full of “basic Republicans,” less than half of voters in Denver were registered as Republican. In the run up to the previous Denver mayoral election, record numbers of new voters were registered, and these newly coined voters were … mostly Democrats.

Using previous elections as a guide, Pro-Denver was also looking squarely toward the future with the aim of developing worthy political candidates, McGinley told reporters.

“For the first time in many years, young Denver professionals have a Republican home, an organization, pledging to provide a continuing political and social forum in which members have an opportunity to hear debate of timely issues, and to provide members with the opportunity to meet and hear candidates for public office and other people intimately involved in the political process.”

In other news, Denver attorney and Democrat Charles Lilley announced that he was officially throwing his hat in the ring in an effort to unseat incumbent state Sen. Ted Strickland, R-Westminster, and had selected Karen Brainard as his campaign manager.

“This will be the hardest campaign for Democrats in Adams County,” Lilley predicted, “but it will be an interesting campaign and a fun one to watch.”

Strickland, then Senate President, told The Colorado Statesman that he was taking the reelection race seriously and that any “Republican officeholder in Adams County is always in trouble but with hard work I’ll once again overcome and demographic odds.”

Strickland pointed to his strong record in the Senate as the cornerstone of his re-election campaign, particularly bills he had sponsored that he claimed had increased the quality of life for the handicapped, the blind, the hearing impaired and the disabled.

“This work has been the most satisfying,” Strickland said, “and my major achievement in the Legislature.”

Twenty Years Ago: State Rep. John Salazar (D-Manassa) announced his candidacy for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District with a tour by airplane around the district’s major towns and cities. Six-term Republican Congressman Scott McInnis had just announced his retirement in September.

Salazar touted his state legislative record on responsible water management and his bipartisan coalition that overwhelmingly defeated Referendum A, a measure that would have added $4 billion in debt to finance unspecified water projects.

“I feel my life experience qualifies me to be a strong voice for the people of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District,” Salazar said. “That life experience includes my service … in the U.S. Army, being a lifelong farmer and rancher in the San Luis Valley and my dedication to my community.”

In his announcement speech at the state Capitol building, Salazar named expanding access to affordable heath care and keeping agriculture a viable and meaningful part of rural America’s economy as his top two priorities.

“We have to protect our ways of life in the rural areas,” Salazar said, “but it is also very important to develop new and innovative methods to spur on responsible economic growth.”

Salazar joined one other Democrat in the congressional race – Anthony Martinez, a twice unsuccessful candidate for Colorado Secretary of State. Palisade peach grower Greg Walcher and Western Slope state Rep. (and McInnis brother-in-law) Matt Smith were two candidates considering bids on the Republican side).

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette.