'New Chapter In America': Congressman-Elect Jason Crow Promises Change
By Shaun Boyd
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- A Colorado Congressman-elect is already planning to make waves when he gets to Washington, DC.
Democrat Jason Crow unseated Republican incumbent Mike Coffman in the Sixth Congressional District.
He says he will not vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, insisting career politicians are part of the problem.
"I made a promise to the people of this community that we need a new generation of leadership."
But, Crow is not ruling out voting for Congresswoman Diana DeGette for a leadership position. She has said she will seek one.
Crow is among a wave of young, diverse, political new comers headed to DC and he says voters sent him there to bring cultural change to Congress, "We're going to have a lot work to do to make sure we're upholding our values and upholding the rule of law."
He says campaigning in a competitive district has prepared him for a divided Congress, "Showing up, being present, making a personal connection with people and listening."
To those who say he's naive, Crow says, "I disagree. We are at a tipping point in American right now. We cannot maintain status quo."
Which is why he says his first bill will reform business as usual in Congress, "That we end the corrupting influence of money in politics that we hold people in wash to higher standard ethics and that we usher in new era of transparency and accountability in Washington DC."
He believes he will get Republican buy-in, too.
Call him Pollyanna, but Crow thinks a new generation will mean a new Washington, "This country has to succeed. We have to get things done."
Crow says his priorities - and the district's - are health care, immigration, and gun control. A veteran, he says he'll approach his new job like he has military missions - setting a goal and finding common ground.
"It's a new chapter in America," he says, and a new chapter for his family - he's a husband and father of two.
Shaun Boyd is CBS4's political specialist. She's a veteran reporter with more than 25 years of experience. Follow her on Twitter @cbs4shaun.