Betsy Markey

U.S. House, CO

Click here to view Markey's photo gallery.

Unseating a right-wing extremist. Polling shows Democrat Betsy Markey on track to unseat one of the most right-wing members of Congress, Republican Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado’s fourth district. Musgrave, who barely won re-election in 2006, is the leading anti-gay crusader in the U.S. House, and her radical anti-choice record earns her high marks from the National Right to Life Committee. Musgrave is so extreme on gun safety, she even voted against funding for trigger-lock enforcement. In 2006, one government watchdog group rated Musgrave the third most corrupt member of Congress and Rolling Stone magazine crowned her the tenth worst member of Congress. Musgrave even wins approval from the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which praises her on its web site.

A top Democratic recruit. When Markey decided to run for this seat, the Democratic field quickly cleared, giving her a clear shot at unseating Musgrave. A highly respected leader, Markey has a rare combination of political, governmental, and community credentials. She helped set up the computer security arm of the U.S. State Department in the 1980s; owned and operated two small businesses in the district; founded the Northern Colorado Democratic Business Coalition; and served as Democratic U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar’s in-state director. She’s been endorsed by Salazar, Colorado’s Democratic governor, and every Democrat in the congressional delegation. After meeting Markey, political handicapper Stuart Rothenberg said Musgrave should be "very, very worried."

A clearly vulnerable incumbent. Polling for the Markey campaign shows Musgrave in deep political peril. More voters believe she should be replaced than re-elected, and Markey leads Musgrave 43 to 36 percent in a head-to-head matchup -- a remarkable position for a challenger. But Musgrave has a massive war chest and strong backing from the right-wing establishment. With over $1.3 million raised by March 31, Musgrave will have plenty to spend on her re-election. Markey needs immediate support from EMILY’s List members to raise the $3 million it will take to unseat this radical incumbent and restore dignity to this congressional seat.

More About Betsy Markey

Democrats have a prime opportunity to unseat radical right-wing Rep. Marilyn Musgrave in Colorado’s fourth congressional district and replace her with Betsy Markey, a respected businesswoman with experience in local and national politics. Polling shows Musgrave, who has a 99 percent career rating from the American Conservative Union and a 100 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee for 2007, is one of the most endangered House incumbents of 2008. In fact, more voters have an unfavorable view of Musgrave (51 percent) than favorable (31 percent) -- an obvious sign of opportunity for a promising challenger like Markey, who leads the incumbent 50 to 43 percent. The Rothenberg Political Report rates the race a pure toss up, giving Markey the edge and noting that Musgrave should be “very, very worried….”

Musgrave is almost a caricature of the classic far-right demagogue. She is the leading anti-gay crusader in the U.S. House and has made amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage a personal mission, calling it “the most important issue that we face today.” She’s also voted repeatedly for measures that limit access to abortion and family planning services. While Musgrave has desperately tried to rebrand herself in recent months to compete with Markey, who is firmly in the mainstream, her voting record belies this effort: she recently voted against funding for international AIDS relief (which also included $2 billion for American Indian health programs) and against a bipartisan measure to provide mortgage relief and more oversight for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Markey is the perfect antidote to Musgrave: a businesswoman with a keen understanding of the economic issues at the top of voters’ minds. In addition to having owned and operated two small businesses, Markey was the U.S. State Department’s first head of the Department of Computer Security Policy and Training, chair of the Larimer County Democratic Party, and regional director for U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.). She founded the Northern Colorado Democratic Business Coalition to highlight issues like affordable health care, transportation, education and deficit reduction, and show that Democrats share the values and concerns of the business community.

Markey got involved in politics as a student at the University of Florida by volunteering for former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham’s gubernatorial campaigns. “I relished the opportunity to be a part of the political process, and the excitement of that first campaign has never really left me,” she says. After graduation, Markey worked as a congressional aide. “When I left Capitol Hill in the early 1980s, I knew I would someday return. I’m running for Congress because the district deserves a representative who focuses on issues that matter -- like health care, education, and our struggling economy.”

The Political Situation

The fourth district has been a GOP stronghold, but Musgrave’s dwindling margins of victory and tepid re-election rating signal an opportunity for Democratic takeover. The 2008 presidential primary energized Colorado Democrats, adding 28,000 new registrants.

Musgrave has been trying to re-brand herself as a bipartisan moderate, but her radical views are very much a part of her image. She voted against every major Democratic domestic policy initiative in 2007, including raising the minimum wage, reducing student loan interest rates, allowing the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, and implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. A Second Amendment stalwart, Musgrave sought to cut funding for trigger-lock enforcement. Predictably, Musgrave voted against expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover 60,000 uninsured Colorado children. And despite the fact that northern Colorado is a national leader in renewable energy research and development, she voted against legislation extending renewable energy tax credits.

Musgrave has received a number of dubious distinctions over her career. In 2006, she was named the third most corrupt member of Congress by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and crowned the tenth worst member of Congress by Rolling Stone. Musgrave’s most troubling and bizarre support comes from the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which on its web site praises her opposition to samesex marriage and support for concealed weapons legislation.

Markey is working hard to raise enough money to compete with an extraordinarily well-funded incumbent. She brought in $389,000 during the second quarter of 2008 and more than $110,000 in July. But while Republicans are gravely concerned about Musgrave’s ability to hold her seat, she remains a formidable fundraiser and has nearly twice as much money in the bank as Markey -- over $1 million as of July 23. As a right-wing champion, Musgrave can count on support from fringe groups determined to keep her in Congress. Markey will need $3 million to unseat Musgrave and claim this seat for Democrats.

The Issues

“A vote in Congress is a trust inherited from the past and borrowed from the future,” says Markey. “Everywhere I go, the citizens of this district share their concerns about the rising cost of health care, the struggling economy, and the promise of renewable energy. I know I can do a better job addressing their concerns than Marilyn Musgrave, who has done little besides advance her own extreme, right-wing agenda.”

Markey will move quickly to amend the No Child Left Behind Act to give schools more flexibility. “We must focus on training and retaining highly qualified teachers,” she says. She will support legislation to lower student loan interest rates and increase the value of Pell Grants. “Making education more affordable will foster prosperity and success for all our citizens,” she says.

A working mother of three, Markey notes that it is becoming more and more expensive to raise a family. “People are working second and even third jobs to make ends meet, giving them less time at home,” she says. A supporter of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Markey implemented strong family and maternity leave policies in her own businesses. “We must provide incentives for businesses to create family-friendly environments,” she says.

Markey’s economic plan emphasizes cutting government waste, providing immediate relief to middle-class families, and stimulating small business growth. She will seek to offer college tax credits and expand the dependent care tax credit to help families care for aging parents. To address the mortgage crisis, Markey will propose a one-time, $2,000 tax credit for homeowners who refinance from variable to fixed-rate mortgages.

Markey supports changing the tax code to ease the burden on the middle class, including addressing the alternative minimum tax. “Because it was not indexed to inflation, the AMT now ensnares 4.2 million taxpayers,” she notes. Concerned about projections that suggest that by 2017 nearly half of all taxpayers will pay the AMT, Markey will work for a permanent fix, offset by cuts in government waste.

Markey, who as a State Department official in the 1980s traveled to countries still engaged in the Cold War, will bring distinctive insight to Congress on matters of national security. She opposes investing so much money and manpower in Iraq when the U.S. faces a vast array of threats. She will advance measures to protect borders, inspect freight, and ensure emergency responders have the equipment they need to do their jobs.

Markey’s top foreign policy priority is repairing the damage done to the country’s reputation around the world. “We had the support and cooperation of the international community after 9/11, and President Bush squandered every last bit of goodwill,” she says. A return to sound diplomatic principles will address problems in the Middle East and garner the support of the world community in the war against terrorism, she asserts, noting that tending to global crises like AIDS, human rights abuses, poverty, and hunger will reduce the influence of terrorist groups.

Markey supports the Fair Pay Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to protect civil rights regardless of sexual orientation. “It is time to remove gender bias from our national laws and fairly compensate women, who are often primary breadwinners,” she says.

On health care, Markey says, “We must take advantage of this unique moment in which both citizens and the business community are clamoring for wholesale change.” She will seek to limit insurance company control over treatment options, require insurers to pay for preventive care for chronic illness, and give the government authority to negotiate for lower drug prices for Medicare.

Markey, who headed the board of directors of the Larimer County Food Bank, believes fighting hunger is the first step to reducing poverty. Noting that one out of ten American households is at risk for hunger, she supports full funding for food stamp programs.

“Colorado is a beautiful place to live, and we’d like to keep it that way,” says Markey, whose top environmental priority is promoting renewable energy, wind power in particular. “Farmers and ranchers can build turbines to harness the winds that blow across their properties, but we must build the infrastructure to take advantage of this abundant energy source,” she says.

A lifelong advocate for choice, Markey has actively worked to elect pro-choice candidates for office. “This decision can be made only by a woman, in consultation with her family, her doctor, and her god,” she says. “Government has no place in this discussion.”

September 2008