Beeson behind in DA race

By Dennis Webb
Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Incumbent Republican Martin Beeson was struggling to hold on to his position as 9th Judicial District Attorney based on election counts late Tuesday night.

Beeson was losing to Democratic challenger Sherry Caloia 16,449-16,212, or 50.4 to 49.6 percent, with some ballots still remaining to be counted in Garfield and Rio Blanco counties.

Caloia was leading based on the strength of her performance in Democratic-leaning Pitkin County, where she won 5,859-2,974, or 66 to 33 percent. With 27 of 29 precincts counted in Garfield County, Beeson was leading there 10,996-9,818, or 53-47 percent. In the Republican stronghold of Rio Blanco County, he held a lead of 2,242-772, or 74 to 26 percent, based on incomplete results.

“This looks like it’s going to be an automatic recount,” Beeson said.

Beeson was elected in the December 2005 recall of then-DA Colleen Truden. Caloia helped lead that recall effort, and more recently became critical of Beeson’s performance.

“I think people really questioned a lot of his decisions on some of the more high-profile cases,” she said Tuesday night.

Beeson has countered that his office has worked to put a number of serious criminals behind bars for long prison sentences during his tenure.