The Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Todd Hagenbuch’s son isn’t cooperating with his father’s political aspirations.

Hagenbuch’s unnamed, newborn son arrived seven weeks early Monday, throwing a bit of a kink in Hagenbuch’s preparations for a formal announcement of his candidacy for the state House on Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s been a long 48 hours in the Hagenbuch household,” Hagenbuch told supporters in front of the Routt County Courthouse. “I’m probably not as prepared for this as I would have been.”

Hagenbuch, a 31-year-old Phippsburg rancher and exec­­­utive director of Historic Routt County, is running as a Democrat for state House District 57, the seat to be vacated by term-limited Rep. Al White, R-Hayden, who will seek a District 8 state Senate seat in November. Republicans Randy Baumgardner, of Hot Sulphur Springs, and Dan Korkowski, of Grand Lake, also intend to run for the House District 57 seat representing Routt, Moffat, Grand, Garfield, Jackson and Rio Blanco counties.

Marsha Daughenbaugh, executive director of the Community Agriculture Alli­ance, introduced Hagenbuch as someone she is proud of and lucky to call a friend.

“I know when Todd says he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it,” Daughenbaugh said. “I have a great amount of respect for Todd and his youth.”

Hagenbuch is the grandson of longtime Routt County ranchers Bob and Elaine Gay. His newborn son represents the fifth generation of his family in Northwest Colorado. While he would be one of the youngest state representatives in Denver if elected, Hagenbuch said he offers “historical perspective” and optimism.

“I think I offer perspective not only as a young father and someone trying to make it, but also historical perspective,” Hagenbuch said. “I’ve been fortunate in the last several days to visit each one of the counties and hear what’s going on. Now I’ve met people, I’ve visited with them and I feel I can represent the majority of their views.”

House District 57 has not been kind to Democrats this decade. After first being elected in 2000, White won the past three campaigns for the district. In November 2006, he won a strong victory against Democratic challenger Andy Gold of Tabernash, despite an election that saw widespread victories for Democrats across the county, state and nation.

Hagenbuch acknowledged the inherent difficulty, but said he can overcome it with his moderate views.

“I’m not a very partisan person, and I think that’s real important in the district,” Hagenbuch said. “The numbers are tough to overcome. That’s why I think a moderate Democrat has a good chance of winning in this area. There’s a new Western Democrat emerging that talks about the issues, believes in moderation in everything, and I think that’s the platform I can offer the voters of Northwest Colorado, as well.”

Catherine Carson, chairwoman of the Routt County Democratic Party, said Hagen­buch is a candidate with bipartisan appeal.

“He’s going to be a candidate that collaborates well and listens to everyone,” Carson said. “He’s a candidate independents and Republicans are going to get excited about.”

Specific issues Hagenbuch said he would tackle in the state Legislature include planning for the “next forest” because of the substantial loss of trees killed by bark beetles, protecting surface owners’ property rights from oil and gas development and making health care more affordable for Coloradans. Hagenbuch has never held elected public office, but said the state House of Representatives seems like a good fit for his first foray.

“I think the state House allows me to dive in to a number of different issues and make a big difference,” Hagenbuch said. “I feel very confident in the fact that I think I represent the majority of the issues and viewpoints in Northwest Colorado.”