Congressional Candidate Betsy Markey (r) and Pollster Anna Bennett (l) address the DWBC

Democratic Congressional Candidate Betsy Markey, guest speaker at the November 14th DWBC luncheon, is taking on Marilyn Musgrave for the 4th Congressional District, which includes Longmont. The sixth of seven children, Markey shared the traditional values on which she was raised and relied on as she and her husband built two successful businesses (software and retail), raised three children, and committed themselves to public service.

Her career has included working as a congressional aide, traveling around the globe as a software security specialist for the US Department of Treasury, heading up the Food Share program for Larimer County, and assuming the helm of the Larimer County Democratic Party. As Senator Ken Salazar’s Regional Director for Northern and Eastern Colorado, Betsy has served business, agricultural groups, elected officials and public administrators as well as individual constituents.

Betsy was joined by Anna Bennett, a Democratic pollster with the Washington DC based company of Bennett, Petts, and Normington. Anna presented a slide show of congressional district races across the country in 2006 having the same demographics as CD4. Most of these districts were held by Republicans who lost to Democrats. The favorable, unfavorable, and neutral opinions of each candidate by their constituents were graphed.

The analysis demonstrated Musgrave’s vulnerability as higher in every category, compared to each defeated Republican. In 2006, Musgrave won with 46% of the vote, the Democrat came in at 43% and the Green Party candidate took 11%. There is no third party candidate in the 2008 election. If 2006 is any indication, the numbers are clearly with the Democratic candidate.

It was an outstanding program with many attendees inspired enough to write personal checks to the Markey for Congress campaign. For more information, go to www.markeyforcongress.com.

Board of Education Member Evie Hudak, State Rep Dianne Primavera and Betsy Markey