Winter arrives early in the 6th Congressional District

The Colorado Statesman Dec. 9, 2005

The race for Colorado's 6th Congressional District in 2006 may be a tad tighter than in past elections where Democratic challengers have been traditionally trounced.

Bill Winter, a 41 year-old local attorney, recently declared his candidacy against incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo. And while the suburban district is still comprised mostly of Republicans and Unaffiliateds - with only 23.2 percent officially registered as Democrats as of last month - Winter is hoping his candidacy will catch fire.

"I want to reach out to everyone - Republicans and Unaffiliateds included, not just Democrats," Winter said this week. "I believe it is time that we all stopped saluting donkeys and elephants, and began to salute the American flag."

Tancredo, who was first elected as congressman in the district back in 1998, received 67 percent of the vote in 2004.

"I know the odds say we can't do it," Winter said about his ambitious plans for next year, "but I don't worry about the odds too much... you've got a mission, you go out and find a way to accomplish it."

If the rhetoric sounds a little military-like with its call for action, it might be because Winter is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Navy.

In fact, Winter is one of 31 veterans nationwide who are running for Congress as Democrats against Republican incumbents. These so-called "underdogs" will gather in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 20 to begin organizing a full conference of strategy and support that will convene on Jan. 18 and 19 next year.

While Winter's veteran status may earn him support in a district where military service is generally lauded, he may have to distance himself from some of his other ties if he hopes to appeal to the political troops in the 6th CD.

Winter is the former president of Be the Change, USA, a grassroots organization that promotes progressive ideals. The organization evolved from Mike Miles' 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, and continues to support "progressive political issues and work to increase grassroots involvement and influence."

That brand of politics is generally not embraced by 6th CD voters, who now number 45.8 percent registered Republican and 30.7 Unaffiliated.

But Winter is undaunted.

He says his campaign "belongs to the people," and he will use a grassroots effort to "give CD 6 back" to its residents.

"CD 6 is not represented in Congress right now, period," insists Winter, who promises that when he is elected he will be back in Colorado every weekend talking to the voters. According to Winter, that's something Tancredo does not do, and says that for all intents and purposes, Tancredo is running for president.

In a recent radio interview on AM760's Jay Marvin show, Winter chastised Tancredo for being "in the bottom 10 [districts out of 435]... in terms of what he brings back to his district."

As for Tancredo's national immigration crusade, Winter believes that the Congressman has "no real solution for it."

While Winter has not detailed any specific solutions to the problem himself, he believes it is a very serious issue for America and that "the immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed."

Winter is concerned with the disaffected and uninvolved voters in his district and nationwide. "Why does one half of the electorate (in the United States) not get involved?" he asks rhetorically. Winter would like to work with them on how to improve participation. He believes it is a national issue that needs to be addressed and one that he will work on while in Congress.

Winter favors the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and regards the current deficit as a crime and "an immoral debt" being passed on to our children. He believes that the current tax system and tax cuts need reform. Other issues that he thinks are important for CD 6 include healthcare, education, jobs, and transportation.

While Winter believes that his best qualification for being a representative is actually "being one of the people," he does have some experience with politics in Washington, D.C. While attending law school at The Catholic University of America, he worked for the Dept. of Justice and on Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) Commerce Committee, as well as McCain's presidential campaign in 2000.

Asked why he worked for a Republican candidate who held different ideals on important issues, such as abortion, the attorney replied, "because I believed in John as a person and what he was trying to do." Winter was impressed by the fact that McCain sincerely listened to people.

Winter has no real estimate of how much the race will cost, and says he won't use any of his own personal funds for the campaign.

Pat Waak, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, described Winter as a "good strong candidate" for the district, but was reluctant to comment further at this time.