Can the Democrats Win in the West?

Timothy B. Hurst — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:54:00 +0000

Has the West changed enough for a Democratic presidential candidate to win there? Other than the coastal states of California, Oregon, and Washington, western states like Colorado, Arizona, Montana, used to be unfriendly ground for the Democrats. But times have changed, in gubernatorial and senatorial races across the West, and the panelists at Thursday morning’s ‘Convention Conversation’ at the DNC in Denver were evidence of that very phenomenon.

The panel, bookended by the bolo-tied U.S. Senator from Colorado Ken Salazar and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, along with Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano represent the new-look Democratic Party in the West.

Think Everyone in this Land of Plenty has Electricity? You’re Wrong.

Max Lindberg — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:11:55 +0000

The people whose land we occupied so many years ago have not been given their fair share of our prosperity. Right now, there are more than 10,000 Native American households in Arizona that have no access to electricity. Shamefully, that’s 7% of all Native American households without electricity in America.

Arizona is making an effort to bring electricty to it’s Native American residents through a new program called the Tribal Rural Electrification Program (in PDF). Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano announced the new initiative Wednesday, saying the first phase will bring solar power to at least 100 reservation homes by the end of the year.

The Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office will run the program, with the help of Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus’ Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory. Arizona utilities and solar power companies will also partner in the initiative.

What are other states doing?

Green Options » janet napolitano

Can the Democrats Win in the West?

Think Everyone in this Land of Plenty has Electricity? You’re Wrong.