Greenwood Village, Colorado—Cory Gardner’s Senate victory makes it a big night for Republicans—and for Robert Case, 15, and his brother Alex Patterson, 13.
Grinning from ear to ear, the two siblings, who’ve volunteered extensively for Colorado’s Republican candidates, spent the evening at the Republicans’ celebration party at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center. They may be the only ones without a drink in hand tonight.
“I’ve done 50 houses today!” Patterson tells me, grinning and wearing a campaign shirt autographed by gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez. “I did 30 houses before. I’ve walked three times, and made 120 calls in total. … I’m more passionate about it [this election]. When I was little, I didn’t really pay attention to politics but now that I’m grown, I do.”
Case says learning more about American history this year has inspired him to get more involved in politics. “I like the ideas,” he says. “I like the morals.”
Case attributes Gardner’s victory to the candidate’s charisma, adding that rival Mark Udall “in the whole election only brought up one issue, about abortion.” Udall “didn’t really bring up things that people cared about,” Case says, adding that because incumbent governor John Hickenlooper addressed more topics and played to the center, his race has been more competitive.
Electoral politics is hereditary for the brothers; mom Amy Ollivier tells me that “literally in the womb, I was walking precincts with Robert.”