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Democrat launches challenge for state House
  
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By Peter Jones
Brett Godfrey’s run for Centennial’s state House District 37 has been a long time coming, according to the candidate.
“Ever since I was a kid, I had an image in my mind about Colorado’s future,” he said. “And now that I’ve acquired enough experience as a trial lawyer and have the ability to participate meaningfully in state government, I feel this urge to act out some of the impulses I’ve had ever since I was a boy.”
Godfrey has announced he is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Spencer Swalm next year. He is the only announced Democrat in a race for which there has seldom been a challenge in the Democratic primary.
The candidate’s long-held vision, which he says dates back to his days as an active Boy Scout, is based largely on issues involving overall quality of life in Colorado.
“Given the beauty of our geographic surroundings, we have a culture here of enjoying life for all that it’s worth. In order to improve quality of life, education and economic development have to fit hand in glove,” he said.
Godfrey, 50, argues that budget-crunched Colorado needs to realign its priorities to ensure that quality of life in the state withstands the economic downturn.
For example, he says, the state should take money out of its corrections budget and invest it in programs that assist two of Colorado’s most vulnerable populations — children and the elderly.
In his push for such change, the Democrat insists he would be a more prolific lawmaker than Swalm, a two-term incumbent.
“The first thing I would do is make good on the five legislative submissions that each member of the House is permitted,” he said. “I would be focusing on trying to develop improvements in both health care and education.”
Godfrey would be the third Democrat to face Swalm, all during a period in which Arapahoe County and District 37, in particular, have become increasingly competitive between the parties.
“One wrong comment by Obama or one slip by Sarah Palin could change my outcome because of the historically close results in the elections that Spencer has won,” Godfrey said.
Last year, in a district that was once considered a safe Republican stronghold, Swalm’s seat was among the most targeted seats by the Colorado Democratic Party.
In the end, Swalm beat Democrat Diana Holland by 5 percentage points. In 2006, Swalm defeated first-timer Angela Engel, who had received no financial support from her party, by only 2 percentage points.
“I’ve gone to school on their putts, if you can use a golf analogy,” Godfrey said of Holland and Engel.
The candidate believes Holland focused too much on transportation infrastructure at the expense of healthcare. He thinks Engel may have been able to win her race if she had walked the district, instead of focusing on direct mail.
Godfrey thinks his relatively moderate views will be the right sell for a battleground district where the extremes of either party are unlikely to make headway.
“There are people who take a look at me and assume without further inquiry that I’m a Republican,” he said. “I’m not what you would call a radical left-wing Democrat.”
Still, Godfrey is quick to distinguish himself from Swalm, a a strongly pro-business fiscal and social conservative with past ties to the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Golden.
“I favor legislation that puts people first. In fact, that’s my campaign motto,” he said. “Businesses are going to be the backbone of Colorado’s economy, but [I would not] emphasize what is good for business at the violent exclusion of what is good for families.”
A family man himself, Godfrey has lived in present-day Centennial since 1992. He has a wife and two school-age daughters.
Godfrey split his formative years between Denver and Wyoming, where his father was chairman of the Republican Party.
At 15, the Wyoming youth became a Fuller Brush salesman — experience that will prove useful during his campaign for state House, the Democrat says.
“I went door to door selling stuff like steel wool pads and hairbrushes. I did that for years and got to the point where I was very confident knocking on people’s doors and getting to know them,” the candidate said.
Godfrey eventually made his way back to the Denver area, where his law firm in unincorporated Arapahoe County specializes in civil litigation and estate planning. He says he was the first attorney to enforce American subpoenas in South Africa.
When he is not practicing law or spending time with his family, Godfrey is an active pilot of a small airplane he keeps at Centennial Airport. He has been a consultant to news media in the aftermath of local air disasters.
“You see Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins, all in one long stream nestled up against the majestic Rockies,” Godfrey said of his flying experiences. “You can’t see any districts, but you can see signs of progress and development in an unbelievably beautiful place.”
“Ever since I was a kid, I had an image in my mind about Colorado’s future,” he said. “And now that I’ve acquired enough experience as a trial lawyer and have the ability to participate meaningfully in state government, I feel this urge to act out some of the impulses I’ve had ever since I was a boy.”
Godfrey has announced he is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Spencer Swalm next year. He is the only announced Democrat in a race for which there has seldom been a challenge in the Democratic primary.
The candidate’s long-held vision, which he says dates back to his days as an active Boy Scout, is based largely on issues involving overall quality of life in Colorado.
“Given the beauty of our geographic surroundings, we have a culture here of enjoying life for all that it’s worth. In order to improve quality of life, education and economic development have to fit hand in glove,” he said.
Godfrey, 50, argues that budget-crunched Colorado needs to realign its priorities to ensure that quality of life in the state withstands the economic downturn.
For example, he says, the state should take money out of its corrections budget and invest it in programs that assist two of Colorado’s most vulnerable populations — children and the elderly.
In his push for such change, the Democrat insists he would be a more prolific lawmaker than Swalm, a two-term incumbent.
“The first thing I would do is make good on the five legislative submissions that each member of the House is permitted,” he said. “I would be focusing on trying to develop improvements in both health care and education.”
Godfrey would be the third Democrat to face Swalm, all during a period in which Arapahoe County and District 37, in particular, have become increasingly competitive between the parties.
“One wrong comment by Obama or one slip by Sarah Palin could change my outcome because of the historically close results in the elections that Spencer has won,” Godfrey said.
Last year, in a district that was once considered a safe Republican stronghold, Swalm’s seat was among the most targeted seats by the Colorado Democratic Party.
In the end, Swalm beat Democrat Diana Holland by 5 percentage points. In 2006, Swalm defeated first-timer Angela Engel, who had received no financial support from her party, by only 2 percentage points.
“I’ve gone to school on their putts, if you can use a golf analogy,” Godfrey said of Holland and Engel.
The candidate believes Holland focused too much on transportation infrastructure at the expense of healthcare. He thinks Engel may have been able to win her race if she had walked the district, instead of focusing on direct mail.
Godfrey thinks his relatively moderate views will be the right sell for a battleground district where the extremes of either party are unlikely to make headway.
“There are people who take a look at me and assume without further inquiry that I’m a Republican,” he said. “I’m not what you would call a radical left-wing Democrat.”
Still, Godfrey is quick to distinguish himself from Swalm, a a strongly pro-business fiscal and social conservative with past ties to the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Golden.
“I favor legislation that puts people first. In fact, that’s my campaign motto,” he said. “Businesses are going to be the backbone of Colorado’s economy, but [I would not] emphasize what is good for business at the violent exclusion of what is good for families.”
A family man himself, Godfrey has lived in present-day Centennial since 1992. He has a wife and two school-age daughters.
Godfrey split his formative years between Denver and Wyoming, where his father was chairman of the Republican Party.
At 15, the Wyoming youth became a Fuller Brush salesman — experience that will prove useful during his campaign for state House, the Democrat says.
“I went door to door selling stuff like steel wool pads and hairbrushes. I did that for years and got to the point where I was very confident knocking on people’s doors and getting to know them,” the candidate said.
Godfrey eventually made his way back to the Denver area, where his law firm in unincorporated Arapahoe County specializes in civil litigation and estate planning. He says he was the first attorney to enforce American subpoenas in South Africa.
When he is not practicing law or spending time with his family, Godfrey is an active pilot of a small airplane he keeps at Centennial Airport. He has been a consultant to news media in the aftermath of local air disasters.
“You see Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins, all in one long stream nestled up against the majestic Rockies,” Godfrey said of his flying experiences. “You can’t see any districts, but you can see signs of progress and development in an unbelievably beautiful place.”
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PepsiJuror wrote on Nov 18, 2009 4:05 PM:
I'm totally behind Brett!
Shawn "