Prowers County Democrats Prepare for March 31 Assembly

Democrats at Caucus at Lamar HIgh School

The Prowers County Democratic party held their caucus at the Lamar High School Tuesday, March 6, electing precinct committee persons and issuing a sign-up sheet for potential election judges for the primary and general elections.

With only President Obama as the Democratic nominee to run for that office, the gathering was able to move ahead on their agenda with a minimum of discussion.  The Prowers County Democrats have two candidates running for office as Don Suefer is contesting for county commissioner in District 1, a seat currently held by Henry Schnabel in his first term of office and Jillane Hixson is a candidate for commissioner from District III, a seat currently held by Gene Millbrand who will not run for re-election in November.  The Republican party has two candidates each for those district seats with Roger Stagner and Wendy Andrade-Buxton running for District III and Mike Parker is contesting Henry Schnabel for District 1.  Hixson and Seufer will face the winners of those June 26 primaries in the November election at this point on the calendar. 

Tuesday night’s activities also focused on electing delegates and alternates to the County Assembly set for March 31 at the Cow Palace Inn in Lamar and the State Convention on April 14 in Pueblo and the National Convention on September 3-7 in North Carolina.  Colorado will send 86 delegates to that convention.   

The U.S. House of Representatives is a contested race this year, between incumbent Cory Gardner and challenger Brandon Schaeffer, scheduled to attend the county assembly in March.  This race is for District 4.  Other contests will be for State Senate District 35, a new district on the political maps, formally held by Republican Greg Brophy.  Another change in Colorado District 64 will feature the contest between Timothy Dore on the GOP and an open position for the Democrats as no one has stepped forward to run for that seat which has been held by Wes McKinley, who is term limited this year. 

On a national scale Hixson, Prowers County Democratic Party chairperson, urged the gathering to speak out against the National Defense Authority Act, initiated under President Bush following 9/11, and continued by President Obama.  She said many Democrats across the country feel the act is dangerous, as it eliminates habeas corpus, and has too broad a definition of what constitutes a ‘terrorist’ under the law.  Hixson said several counties in Colorado are urging their local governments to nullify the act and exempt their citizens from its jurisdiction.

By Russ Baldwin