Colorado's 7th congressional district— Incumbent Bob Beauprez (R) was reelected to a second term in 2004 with 55% of the vote, after winning his first term by only 121 votes. His retirement to make an unsuccessful run for Governor of Colorado made this seat highly competitive. The 7th District is located in the western Denver suburbs. Former Chairman of the state Higher Education Commission, and 2002 candidate for the Republican nomination in the 7th district, Rick O'Donnell was unopposed for the Republican nomination, while State Senator Ed Perlmutter won a three-way Democratic primary. Dave Chandler, a Green, was also a candidate. In late September, O'Donnell was put on the defensive when ads appeared noting that he had previously supported abolishing Social Security. A Survey USA poll soon after that showed Perlmutter with a 54 to 37 percent lead, although GOP consultants guessed that the support was "soft."[1]Results: Perlmutter defeats O'Donnell 55% to 42%.
