Skorman Still Considers Campaign A Victory

Supports for downtown business owner Richard Skorman cheered Wednesday night as he gave his concession speech. Skorman thanked his supports and his wife, Patricia, who ran his business while he campaigned for Mayor.

He told about 200 supporters that he was honored to be their candidate. ?I think the issues I brought up in the campaign made Colorado Springs better,? Skorman told KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13. He said issues like social conservatism, gay rights and how the city can be anti-government.

Skorman said the election became partisan, and he felt the negative advertising against him wasn?t fair. ?We didn?t go after Steve (Bach) personally,? said Skorman, referring to the commercials calling him a tax and spend liberal.

Critics felt Skorman went negative first with his television advertisements painting his challenger, Steve Bach, as developer who contributed to the problems of the city. ?I just felt we needed to bring it up,? he said. Skorman wanted voted to know that more than half of Bach?s contributors were developers.

Skorman said after a few weeks of the advertisement airing, he dropped it.

Around 8 p.m. Wednesday, Skorman called Bach to concede the race. He told Bach that he is willing to help out in anyway. ?I congratulated him; I have a lot of respect for him,? said Skorman.

Skorman told KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13 that he likes local politics, but doesn?t see himself running for any position in the future. He even joked that former State Represenative Michael Merrifield should run for strong mayor in the next election.