Sponsor of Federal Marriage Amendment Faces Challenge in Colorado Primary

by Chad Groening
April 13, 2004

(AgapePress) - A conservative member of Congress is being challenged in Colorado's Republican primary because she is such a strong supporter of the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Two years ago, Marilyn Musgrave was elected to Colorado's 4th Congressional district, which is strongly conservative and strongly Republican. So far, no Democrat has indicated a desire to run against her this November. But earlier this month, Johnstown businessman Bob Faust announced he will challenge Musgrave in the Republican primary because, as he told the Denver Post, he opposes Musgrave's proposed constitutional amendment that would ban legal recognition of homosexual marriages.

Musgrave, who is the primary sponsor of House legislation defining marriage as between one man and woman, says Faust is using a political trick in his attempt to unseat her.

"He's advising people to change their party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and support him in this primary -- so he does have a method by which he hopes to be successful," the first-term congresswoman says. "There are not a lot of voters that participate [in the primary], so he could in theory make a difference by encouraging people to do this."

Musgrave insists that Faust is really nothing more than a Democrat posing as a Republican. She points to the campaign issues her primary opponent is pushing. "He talks about supporting universal health care. He wants to lower the drinking age," she says.

According to Faust's campaign website, he also believes the Equal Rights Amendment -- which failed to be ratified by three-fourths of the states more than 20 years ago -- should be revived and "expanded from addressing only gender -- to include race, ethnicity, age, nationality, religion, heritage, and sexual orientation."

"He has quite a few stands that are pretty atypical for a Republican," Musgrave states.

The pro-family congresswoman says she hopes to prevail in her bid for a second term in the U.S. House, but that Faust's challenge "just adds more work and more expense to a campaign."

Faust has until June 1 to file enough signatures to get his name on the primary ballot.