Regent at Large race still too close to call

Ludwig, Davidson wait for final count

Votes from the Nov. 7 election are still being counted to determine who will replace Republican Pete Steinhauer as regent at large.

Steinhauer is “termed out” of office after serving his second term as regent at large and will be replaced by either Democrat Steve Ludwig or Republican Brian Davidson. The race so far has been said to be too close to call, but the certified count should be on the secretary of state Web site (www.sos.state.co.us) by Dec. 1.

“I think that the regents are fairly unknown,” Ludwig said.

He went on to say that for this race, it is a possibility that many voters voted the way that they did because of their party affiliation or a name that they heard, and not because they followed the race very closely.

Ludwig said if he wins, he would like to focus on the broader issues for the CU, such as helping each of the three CU campuses reach their full potential, keeping tuition increases to a minimum, recruiting and retaining world-class faculty and increasing diversity on campus.

Ludwig’s opponent, Republican Brian Davidson, plans on keeping tuition rates and the cost of education low if he becomes regent.

Like Ludwig, he mentioned the fact that many voters are uninformed when it comes to the candidates and issues concerning the regents.

“Many people voting really do not know what a regent is and who they are voting for,” Davidson said.

Davidson just returned from a trip to Mexico late Sunday night and said that until the results come, in he plans on “just working and watching the numbers.”

Davidson said the biggest difference between Ludwig and himself is the fact that he is unique in being a young physician.

“It was an advantage to be something different,” Davidson said.

In an interview with Steinhauer on Friday, Nov. 10, he expressed some sorrow at the thought of his two-term career as regent ending.

“It’s something that I have enjoyed immensely over the last 12 years,” Steinhauer said. “It is time to pass the torch on to new people.”

Steinhauer said whoever wins after all of the ballots have been counted will have a lot of learning to do as the new regent.

“There is a big learning curve,” Steinhauer said.

Steinhauer turned 70 last week, and even though he is termed out of office, he said he will continue to be involved with CU. He also plans on teaching at the dental school on the Fitzsimons campus in Denver, where the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and the University of Colorado Hospital are located