When Rep. Jeff Hurd begins his second term in Congress next year, he’ll be the only Republican member from Colorado.
Hurd, who represents a massive 3rd Congressional district that includes Aspen, Grand Junction and Pueblo, said he thought he ran a good race leading up to last week’s midterm election.
But when he saw Republicans across the country losing badly on election night, doubt crept in.
“In a wave election like this, there’s only so much you can control,” Hurd said. “So yes, there was a moment in the night I thought we could very well lose the race.”
That wave will sweep Democrats into control of Congress in the new year.
Hurd spoke with Aspen Public Radio’s Vic Vela Thursday. He reflected on the election, the “Blue Wave,” and where Republicans should go from here. Here’s some of what he said (answers have been lightly edited for clarity):
Vic Vela: As best as you can, walk me through what was going through your head when you're sitting there watching the East Coast results come in, and all of the sudden there's races that were competitive that no one thought would be competitive: Florida and North–
Rep. Jeff Hurd: North Carolina, Kansas, Texas…
Vela: Right. Did you think you were a goner?
Hurd: At one point, I remember thinking, probably the first hour after the election results came in, I remember seeing the preliminary results and thinking, in light of what was happening on the East Coast, that we could be in for a long night and that there was a distinct possibility I could lose.
Vela: Wow.
Hurd: You know, we had worked hard and I had done everything I could to make sure we got the message out to voters that I'm hardworking, independent and effective. But at the end of the day, in a wave election like this, there's only so much you can control. So, yes there was a moment in the night where I thought we could very well lose the race.
Vela: When did that change for you, Congressman? At what point did you feel pretty good?
Hurd: Probably around about an hour and a half after the first polls closed, we could see what the margin was in the counties that were reporting and what the remaining vote totals were and where they were. And based on that assessment, we had a good idea that I could make up ground and I would ultimately pull ahead.
Vela: So you are now the lone wolf in the Republican Party in Colorado, the state’s only Republican federal representative. Why do you think everyone else in your party lost [on Election Night] except for you?
Hurd: I only know my district. And at the end of the day, voters saw me as someone who is hardworking and who gets results and who’s independent and, when he agrees with his party, he says so. When he disagrees with his party or with the president, he says so.
I will tell you though, just zooming out, I think Republicans should take the results of last Tuesday’s election seriously. I think voters are sending a message. And when they do that, we should listen rather than explain it away… I do think there was a message that voters were sending Republicans in the country about what we should be focusing on. And that is a message that I receive loud and clear… We need to make sure that we’re doing a better job of explaining to voters what we’re doing, what we need to do and what we’ve done.
Vela: What does that look like, in action?
Hurd: It means we are focused on actual legislation that would prevent members of Congress from trading or owning stocks. It means that we are working to reduce the cost of gas and groceries and utilities. It means that we are not getting caught up in partisan theater and showing… that we are serious about issues like water and affordability and healthcare and energy and local economies.
We can talk about what we’re doing, we can communicate it. We can run ads, but at the end of the day, most people are going to judge their circumstances by how things look at the family level and how their small business is doing and how their cattle herd is doing and how gas prices are. And that’s something that we should stay laser focused on.
Vela: You made it a point [on the campaign trail] to talk about the work that you’ve been doing to help CD3 and your work across the aisle to get things done. Do you think that’s part of the message, Congressman, that voters are sending? Like, “Hey, enough of the partisanship. We need you guys to work together.”
Hurd: Yes, I do. I think this is a message that I took loud and clear. Voters want results. They are less concerned about whether the issue is a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. They care about whether or not it's making life better for them.
