“As a State Representative, Diane Mitsch Bush fought for Colorado’s middle class, strong schools and protecting Colorado’s public lands,” said DCCC Spokeswoman Rachel Irwin. “Diane is a proven leader that Coloradans can trust while Rep. Tipton continues to vote against the interests of his constituents. Tipton’s record of voting against protecting public lands and to raise healthcare premiums makes him even more vulnerable ahead of 2018.”
To: Interested Parties
From: Rachel Irwin, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 26, 2018
RE: The Case Against Scott Tipton
Scott Tipton has shown through his record in Washington that he is more beholden to his Party and special interests than the Coloradans he was elected to represent. The voters of this massive, rural district deserve an elected official who will fight for them, the public lands they rely upon, and the pocket-book issues that keep them awake at night.
Everything Scott Tipton has done in Washington is a direct assault on the livelihoods of Coloradans from Pueblo to the San Luis Valley to the Western Slope. From his vote to raise healthcare costs, to his vote for the GOP tax scam, to writing off Colorado’s public lands, Scott Tipton’s record is one of a Washington insider who has forgotten where he came from.
Given his voting record, his ties to special interests and the Democratic enthusiasm on the ground, Scott Tipton’s days in Washington are numbered.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Progressive group aims to hold Western Slope Congressman Scott Tipton accountable for ‘abysmal voting record’” [Colorado Times Recorder, 3/22/18]
“Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton are lambasted over health care at Durango Town Hall” [Denver Post, 8/04/17]
“Cortez protestors take Tipton to task on health care” [The Journal, 5/10/17]
“Tipton challenged over keeping promise on health vote” [The Pueblo Chieftain, 5/05/17]
“U.S. Rep. Tipton faces hard questioning at town hall” [The Pueblo Chieftain, 4/20/17]
“Fractious town hall for Tipton” [Montrose Daily Press, 4/08/17]
Scott Tipton Represents the Worst of Washington
Forced Healthcare Premiums to Skyrocket in Colorado, Jeopardize Constituents’ Care
Scott Tipton repeatedly voted to increase health care premiums – which are expected to increase by more than 18 percent in Colorado – in addition to gutting pre-existing condition protections and jeopardizing health insurance for 35,200 in his district. Additionally, he voted to impose an age tax on older Americans and has done nothing to lower the price of prescription drugs.
His vote for the American Health Care Act (AHCA) was a direct attack on rural communities and nursing homes in Colorado. The political fallout from Tipton’s vote has taken its toll and he will have a tough time explaining to voters why he has consistently voted to make it harder for them to get ahead.
Voted for a GOP Tax Scam Enriching Millionaires Like Himself
Despite representing a blue-collar district, Scott Tipton voted for the GOP Tax Scam that gives more than 80% of its benefits to the wealthiest 1% of Americans and a huge handout to large corporations. The bill even incentivizes corporations to ship jobs overseas, all while making millions of middle class families pay more over time. And because of how the tax scam blew up the deficit, it has given Republicans an opening to revisit their favorite topic: cutting Social Security and Medicare.
No Friend to Public Lands
Scott Tipton has promised to protect public lands, but has continued to vote for anti-public land bills. In 2017, Tipton voted to make it easier “for states to buy federal lands for next to nothing and then sell them to developers,” like oil and gas companies, which have contributed nearly half a million dollars to his congressional campaigns. Tipton has continued to be in the pocket of special interests, rather than fight for his constituents – the majority of whom agree that “Trump’s recent orders to cut roughly two million acres from [national] monuments and remove protections against development, mining, and drilling” is a bad idea. Tipton should listen to them instead of his special interest donors.
In 2016, after the owners and employees of a Texas oil and gas company spent nearly $40,000 to get him elected, Tipton proposed a law written largely by that very same company’s lobbyists to allow new drilling in the Thompson Divide. Tipton’s efforts to allow new drilling would have benefited big out-of-state corporations, but would hurt access to hunting, fishing, ranching, and recreation that Coloradans enjoy, and could have hurt hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity for rural communities.
THE PATH TO VICTORY
CO-03 is the most rural district in Colorado. It encompasses the western part of the state, with a large pocket of Democratic voters in Pueblo and others living throughout smaller communities within the Rocky Mountains. The district is also about 18% Hispanic.
While President Trump carried the district in 2016, former Senator Mark Udall won this district in 2008, and President Obama came within a point of winning the district that same year. Additionally, former Democratic Congressman John Salazar held an earlier version of this district from 2004 to 2010, and the district has since been redrawn to include more Democrats.
The historical performance and demographic makeup of this district indicates that this seat will be competitive in 2018, and polling proves it. The most recent poll of the district conducted by PPP in May found Tipton leading a generic Democrat by only 2 points. Voters also soured on him before the general election even began because of his votes for raising healthcare costs and the GOP Tax Scam. Just 32% of his constituents rate his job performance positively, and 44% rate it negatively. Additionally, a 10-point plurality of voters say they are less likely to vote for Tipton because of his vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Tipton’s record of selling out his constituents’ health care and their public lands will be a liability in 2018 and makes him vulnerable heading into November.