U.S. House, Colorado - 4th District
North and east -- Fort Collins; Greeley
Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
2008: Rep.
2006: Rep.
Musgrave has turned her focus from a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage to the needs of local agriculture and military veterans — a shift that prompted the Denver Post to endorse her for a fourth term. Though the state’s eastern plains have a conservative bent, Musgrave’s underwhelming winning margins the past two times ensured her another tough race this time, and it doesn’t help her that
Race Information
- Incumbent: Betsy Markey, D
- First Elected: 2008 (1st term)
- Last Elected: (%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
The 4th, which covers Colorado’s eastern plains and touches five other states, looks more like the Kansas prairies than the rugged Rockies, differentiating it from the Centennial State’s other districts.
Thanks to intensive irrigation, the 4th’s southern and eastern portions include productive wheat and corn fields, and the district is one of the nation’s top 10 in cattle and calves. But as demand for beef has fallen and wheat prices have declined, some ranchers and farmers have faced hard times, and the area has suffered from recent droughts. The southern part of the district is spread across mainly small rural communities, and with roughly 9,000 residents, Lamar is the only town or city in the 4th’s southern half with more than 3,000 people.
The northwestern part of the district, including Larimer and almost all of Weld counties, along with the 4th’s small part of Boulder County, holds 80 percent of the district’s population while occupying less than a third of its land. Fort Collins, the district’s most populous city, was voted Money Magazine’s 2006 best small city to live in, cashing in on job growth, low crime and surrounding natural beauty. Home to Colorado State University and its research facilities, Fort Collins’ workforce has attracted technology firms to the city, which continues to experience population growth.
The 4th has a long history of sending GOP members to the House, and most of the district is rural Republican territory. Almost every county entirely in the 4th gave George W. Bush more than two-thirds of its vote in the 2004 presidential election, with Cheyenne County awarding Bush a statewide high of 81 percent and Washington County giving him his second-highest total. Fort Collins is an exception to that strong GOP tilt and tends to support Democrats in local elections. Overall, Bush took 58 percent of the 4th’s vote.
Major Industry
Agriculture, meatpacking, higher education, manufacturing
Cities
Fort Collins, 118,652; Greeley, 76,930; Longmont, 71,093; Loveland, 50,608
notable
Greeley hosts the Greeley Stampede, a rodeo and music festival held each year leading up to July 4th; Estes Park’s Stanley Hotel inspired Stephen King’s “The Shining.”
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 614,466
- Under 18: 26.1%
- Over 65: 10.4%
- Married: 57.9%
- Non-Hispanic White: 79%
- Black: 1%
- Hispanic: 17%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 7.0%
- Language other than English: 14%
- Median Household Income: 43,389
- Owner Occupied Housing: 68.0%
- Income above $200k: 1.8
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 59.8%
- Blue Collar: 25.8%
- Services: 14.4%
- Bachelor's Degree: 29%
- Graduate Education: 10.1%
- Civilian Veterans: 56,022
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Betsy Markey (D) | 187,347 | 56.2% |
| Marilyn Musgrave (R) | 146,028 | 43.8% | ||
| 2006 | general | Marilyn Musgrave (R) | 109,732 | 45.6% |
| Angie Paccione (D) | 103,748 | 43.1% | ||
| Eric Eidsness (REF) | 27,133 | 11.3% | ||
| 2004 | general | Marilyn Musgrave (R) | 155,958 | 51% |
| Stan Matsunaka (D) | 136,812 | 44.8% | ||
| Bob Kinsey (GREEN) | 12,739 | 4.2% | ||
| 2002 | general | Marilyn Musgrave (R) | 115,359 | 55% |
| Stan Matsunaka (D) | 87,499 | 41.7% | ||
| John Volz (LIBERT) | 7,097 | 3.4% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 41% | George W. Bush: 58% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 39% | George W. Bush: 61% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARKEY, ELIZABETH HELEN (D) | November 24, 2008 | $2,877,031.00 | $2,842,132.00 | $141,999.00 | $2,226,763.00 | $34,899.00 | $25,000.00 |
| MUSGRAVE, MARILYN (R) | November 24, 2008 | $2,869,957.00 | $2,841,857.00 | $159,569.00 | $1,991,596.00 | $97,028.00 | $5,725.00 |
| PACCIONE, ANGELA V (D) | June 30, 2008 | $162,168.00 | $188,165.00 | $157,731.00 | |||
| EIDSNESS, FREDERIC ARNOLD (REF) | October 18, 2006 | $1,474.00 | |||||
