New congressional seats mean Colorado, West will have more power in Washington

By Dick Foster
Denver Rocky Mountain News Southern Bureau

The new census will give Colorado and the West added political heft — four more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and four more votes in the Electoral College.

As third-fastest-growing state in the nation over the past 10 years, Colorado will gain one seat in the House, its seventh, and one electoral vote, its ninth. Arizona will gain two seats in the House, and Nevada one.

"The 'empty, arid West' is not as empty and arid as it once was. These figures reflect that," Colorado College political science professor Robert Loevy said.

"Adding a seventh district clearly increases Colorado's power in Congress. And it also gives us an extra electoral vote, which against the backdrop of the 2000 presidential election is not insignificant," said Dick Wadhams, press secretary for Gov. Bill Owens.

---

U.S Census - 2000

Use the form below to view the resident population numbers from the 2000 Census.

Sort by:	State Pop. as of 2000 Pop. as of 1990 Numeric Change Percent Change
Related stories: Colorado rewarded for growth Census confirms quick growth State growth will bring in more money Colorado's population in perspective State gains political clout Seventh House seat up for grabs Graphics: State-by-state growth Colorado population timeline Congressional winners and losers

Not that the added seats make Western states any match for big Eastern states and California, but they do increase the prominence of Western states individually and their influence as a bloc, Colorado officials say.

While party and ideological divisions can divide congressional delegations on some issues, Western states sometimes vote as one for their collective interests.

"We have a Western caucus where we get together, often to fight against the population centers of the East. We fight against desires of many people who want to make our public lands a playground for people from the East who don't have to earn a living out here," said Republican Rep. Joel Hefley of Colorado's 5th Congressional District.

"Often we lose those battles, but every extra seat helps," he said.

Heavily outnumbered in Congress, Western representatives have had to live by their wits. Often they have helped their states most by attaining power individually through seniority on congressional committees.

"Power in Congress is based on seniority, and with an additional seat you have one more chance to get someone in there and build seniority and real leverage," Loevy said.

Hefley, who in November won his eighth term, agrees.

"For the last six years I've been chairman of the military construction and installations committee, which means I've been in a position to do an awful lot of good out here," Hefley said.

"I've been in a position where if you're making a (spending) choice that the choice came here," he said.

But Hefley said it took him eight years to rise to the chairmanship and begin exerting such influence.

Tim Storey of the National Council of State Legislatures said Colorado's added seat would give "an extra voice in Washington, looking out for your state's interests and bringing those interests to the floor of the House."

Those interests translate into one important commodity, Loevy said.

"Despite all the talk about the West and freedom, the West mainly lobbies Washington, D.C., for money," Loevy said.

"I think it will mainly increase the leverage out here in the West to get more money for highways, more money for water development and more money for military facilities."