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Campaign Updates>
Rocky Mtn. News: Penry a GOP "Rock Star"
January 24, 2006
GOP has faith in its young 'rock stars'
By Lynn Bartels
Rocky Mountain News
During the height of the battle over Referendum C, the
president of Mesa State College in Grand Junction sounded
an alarm about a Western Slope Republican lawmaker trying
to defeat the measure.
President Tim Foster warned the Ref C campaign last summer
that Rep. Josh Penry was effectively raising doubts about
the tax measure with a strategy that combined smarts and
civility.
In the end, Coloradans narrowly passed the ballot issue,
which allows the state to keep billions of dollars that
otherwise would have been refunded to taxpayers under the
Taxpayers' Bill of Rights, but Penry had the satisfaction
of seeing it crushed on the Western Slope.
Foster, a Ref C supporter, was impressed.
"Josh will be a U.S. senator some day, I can tell you
that," he said. "This is, like, the perfect kid. What
doesn't he do well?"
The 29-year-old from Grand Junction is among a handful of
first-term lawmakers who have Republican Party leaders
salivating. They see a deep bench to tap over the next
decade for statewide and congressional offices.
Others they are eyeing include Reps. Rob Witwer, of
Genesee; Cory Gardner, of Yuma; and Matt Knoedler, of
Lakewood.
"All of them are rock stars," said House Minority Leader
Joe Stengel, R-Littleton. "And all four of these young guys
are honest, articulate, bright and have a good sense of
humor.
"They have the kind of values you want your own kids to
have."
Foster, the former House majority leader, compared the
bench to the Democrats' roster in the last century with
Dick Lamm and Roy Romer, who would become governors, and
Tim Wirth and Gary Hart, who would become U.S. senators.
The question is how far those on the Republican JV team
want to go. Some admit they are still learning the art of
balancing a political life with raising a family and making
a living.
Penry, who used to be a staffer for former U.S. Rep. Scott
McInnis, smiled at Foster's suggestion that he's U.S.
senator material.
"I'm looking forward to being a state senator," Penry said,
of his election in November. "I'll let the future take care
of itself."
Still, he made a solid name for himself last year with his
efforts to defeat Ref C.
Penry's strategy was unlike what happened in metro Denver,
where opponents argued there was no budget crisis despite
$1 billion in program cuts and projections that community
colleges and state parks would be closed if the referendum
failed.
And Penry didn't paint Ref C as the handiwork of liberal
Democrats, a charge that never flew because Republican Gov.
Bill Owens and former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown campaigned for
its passage.
What Penry did was hit the chicken-dinner circuit,
explaining to one group of voters after another why he
didn't think Ref C was the right solution for the state's
budget problems.
"There's a reason Ref C went down so hard here," Foster
said. "It's Josh Penry."
But Penry is not the only bench-warmer that has Republicans
excited.
Gardner worked for U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., before
resigning last summer after getting appointed to fill a
vacancy in the state House.
"Cory's got a lot of common sense," Allard said. "I
wouldn't be surprised to see him elected to higher office
if he wants. I think the sky's the limit for Cory."
Witwer also was appointed to his seat, the same one held by
his father, John Witwer, who resigned last summer after
being tapped by the governor to oversee a bungled welfare
computer system.
The younger Witwer is a corporate attorney who has handled
legal affairs for the Colorado Republican Party.
"Rob Witwer is his father's son, and it doesn't get any
better than that," said Mike Feeley, a Lakewood Democrat
and former Senate minority leader. "They're both as honest
as the day is long."
Knoedler used to work in the governor's policy office and
for U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. As such, "Matt really
knows government from the leg up," said Rick O'Donnell, who
used to head the policy office.
"Matt definitely has upward potential," O'Donnell said.
Up-and-comers
Rep. Cory Gardner
• Age: 31
• Residence: Yuma
• Previously: Staffer for U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.
• 2-year-old daughter
Rep. Matt Knoedler
• Age: 30
• Residence: Lakewood
• Previously: Staffer for Gov. Bill Owens' policy office,
and for U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.
• 1-month-old daughter
Rep. Josh Penry
• Age: 29
• Residence: Grand Junction
• Previously: Staffer for former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis,
R-Colo.
• 3-year-old son; wife is due in March with a daughter
Rep. Rob Witwer
• Age: 34
• Residence: Genesee
• Previously: Handled legal issues for Colorado Republican
Party
• Three sons ages 4 and younger
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