About | Contact | Feminist Majority 
Feminist Majority Political Action Committee
 

Betsy Markey

Betsy Markey lost 41% to 53% against Republican Cory Gardner in Colorado's 4th Congressional District. Third party candidates Doug Aden and Ken Waszkiewicz received 6% of the vote combined.

Betsy Markey (D) is running for re-election for her 2nd term in Colorado’s 4th District.  She faces a general election race.

In 2008, Markey unseated one of Congress’ most conservative members, Marilyn Musgrave, who was an enemy of women’s rights and reproductive freedoms.  During her freshman year in Congress, Markey has been a strong leader, representing the moderate views of her district while still standing for social progress.

Background:

  • Markey is renowned for her work as Director of Computer Security Policy and Training under the Reagan administration.
  • In 2008, Markey was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado, winning by an unexpectedly wide margin
  • In Congress Markey serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Agriculture Committee
  • Markey earned a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2009

    • Markey’s Position on Key Issues:

    • Women’s Rights: Markey supports equal rights and equal pay.  One of Markey’s first votes in Congress was in favor of the Lily Ledbetter Act.
    • Reproductive Rights: Markey is a strong supporter of a woman’s right to choose.  She has worked hard to help other pro-choice candidates get elected.
    • LGBT Rights:  Markey has supported in Congress adding violence based on sexual orientation to the federal list of hate crimes as well as the “Employment Non-Discrimination Act”.

    General Election Opponents: Cory Gardner, a conservative Colorado state senator, Tea Partier and anti-choice crusader, will have the Republican nomination for November 2010.  He has received funding from the national Republican Party as one of their “Young Guns” candidates. Like Musgrave before him, Gardner holds far-right views: he sponsored a bill to ban abortion in Colorado, voted against providing emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault, and opposed a program that provided pap smears and cancer screening to low-income women.  He also supports abstinence only-education.

    Prospects: Markey’s district, a former stronghold for uber-conservatives like Musgrave, has been targeted by the Republican Party for 2010 since their loss in 2008.  It is at the top of their takeover list, as Gardner and third party groups wage an expensive campaign against Markey.  However, recent news has come in that Markey has begun to out raise Gardner, which will help her fight his attacks.

    Endorsements: Feminist Majority PAC, EMILY’s List, Planned Parenthood

    Website: http://www.markeyforcongress.com/?no_splash=1

     
    © Copyright 2011, Feminist Majority PAC