Thirty-Five Years Ago This Week: The Republican Party isn’t afraid of targeting, Colorado Republican Party Chairman Bruce Benson told The Colorado Statesman. “We’ll respond the way we always do — by running great candidates and funding them well.

Benson was referring to the Democratic National Committee’s launch of Project 500, a multi-million dollar strategy, that would focus on Colorado and 15 other key states in an attempt to win the electoral battle for control — more specifically, the redistricting processes that would redraw congressional and state legislative boundaries in 1990.

“Project 500 has targeted Colorado as a pivotal state that will receive national support — including strategic advice and direct donations — to help secure Democratic control of the state legislature,” said Tim Dickson, executive director of Project 500.

“The Republicans have targeted a few seats of their own,” Benson said. “But we don’t tell the newspapers about it. There are candidates we think we can beat.”

Benson also said that the Colorado Republican Party had not looked for help from the Republican National Committee.

“Colorado Republicans can take care of themselves,” Benson said. “We always have.”

Several incumbent Republican legislators echoed Benson and were largely dismissive of the Democratic election push.

“I’m ready, willing and able to accept the challenge,” said Rep. Steve Arveschoug, R-Pueblo. “I received strong support two years ago from the Republican Party, and I anticipate the same support this year.”

Carol Boignon, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party said that the list of targeted seats would change as the races evolve.

“We determine vulnerable Republican seats by looking at a district’s registration and past voting performance,” Boignon said. “Our energies are concentrated on where an incumbent is vulnerable, and on open seats.”

Twenty-Five Years Ago: In late May, The Colorado Statesman reported that House District 2 candidate Desiree Sanchez had failed to file two quarterly campaign reports with the Colorado secretary of state and owed more than $1,200 in penalties.

But less than a week later, the secretary of state’s office allowed Sanchez to pay a reduced late fee of $1,000 to clear up the filing issues.

“After Donetta Davidson assumed office in 1999 following the death of then Secretary of State Vikki Buckley, she decided to lower the amounts of fines that candidates owed to the Secretary of State’s office,” said Lisa Pitt, public information specialist for Davidson.

“Donetta based this decision on the fact that she hadn’t been personally involved in examining what each candidate owed prior to her appointment. Since she lowered the amount of money owed by other candidates, she felt it was only fair to lower the amount of money that all candidates owed — including Desiree Sanchez.”

Sanchez petitioned onto the ballot after her Democratic opponent Bryan Meegan garnered 5% of the vote at the House District 2 Assembly.

In other news, the gun control versus Second Amendment rights debate was raging on. “Parents have the right to live in a land where they do not have to be fearful of their children being gunned down at their place of education,” wrote Bev Saidel, a Denver business owner specializing in marketing and consultation. “I also know that the Constitution gives citizens the right to bear arms.”

After the dual Second Amendment Sisters and Moms Against Gun Violence marches on Mother’s Day, Saidel argued that the United States was being torn apart over constitutional issues. But instead of confronting those responsible, Saidel argued, the country would rather point the finger away from those it should be pointed at.

“I know many people who complain about their elected officials,” Saidel wrote. “I often wonder how many of them actually vote. If you do not vote you have made a conscious decision not to be heard. Our elected officials tend to forget that WE, the people, have the right to be heard by those we elect — and not just at election time.”

Rachael Wright is the author of several novels including The Twins of Strathnaver, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics, the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Denver Gazette.