May routs Newsome in DA race

District Attorney John Newsome just couldn't overcome his own bad behavior.

Despite Newsome's apologies and promises to do better, Republican voters on Tuesday decided a better route would be former Assistant Deputy District Attorney Dan May.

May won the Republican primary in a landslide.

"I'm very surprised" at the margin of victory, May said while the returns were still rolling in. "People are speaking out and expressing their feelings on what they expect of a district attorney. It was not so much about me as much as what the community wants."

The only reason May got into the race May 16 - after Newsome emerged as the only 4th Judicial District Attorney's candidate after the caucuses - is because KOAA-TV filmed Newsome drinking some 130 ounces of beer in about five hours, then driving away in a county-owned vehicle.

The political fallout drew May into a race he said he never intended to enter. He frantically collected more than 2,800 signatures in 11 days to petition his way on the ballot before the May 31 deadline.

Since no Democrat is seeking the seat, El Paso and Teller county voters gave the $120,000 per year position to May on Tuesday.
Newsome, who had no campaign parties Tuesday night, did not respond to e-mail and voice mail requests for comment.

The primary election was a stark contrast to the first Newsome-May contest in 2004, when Newsome convinced 56 percent of 53,801 voters he would change the district attorney's office for the better.

May was the handpicked choice of Newsome's predecessor, Jeanne Smith, to take over the office, which handles one of the biggest felony caseloads in the state.

"Dan May is an extraordinary prosecutor," Smith said Tuesday night at May's victory party at the Dale Street Cafe. "I'm very pleased he will have the opportunity to lead a premier district attorney's office, or what I expect to be a premier district attorneys office."

May's gathering also included Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera, many deputy district attorneys who left Newsome's office, a high-ranking Colorado Springs police lieutenant, Newsome's former spokeswoman and at least two crime victims' family members.
Jen Romero's 13-year-old boy, Gino, was shot and killed by gang members in a driveby shooting in 1997.

"Dan was my DA," said Romero, who now leads a support group Mothers of Murdered Youth. "He gave me his heart and soul. The least I could do is give back."

Romero said May, a 22-year veteran of the 4th Judicial District Attorney's office before he left in 2005, even showed up to a memorial service for Gino long after he was no longer with the office here.

May has been serving as chief deputy district attorney in the 18th Judicial District, which includes Douglas, Arapahoe, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

May supporter Thomas Thomas, said Newsome's missteps forced voters to cast him from office.

"Nothing is more pleasurable as a patriotic American than to assist in getting a bad bureaucrat out of office," said Thomas, 50, of Colorado Springs. "Mr. Newsome thought he was above the law the rest of us are expected to follow."

Newsome is also under investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and two special prosecutors from the Attorney General's office for questionable travel expenses surrounding a trip he took to Chicago in October.

The investigation focuses on facts brought to light in a June 24 Gazette story. It detailed the trip Newsome took with a Colorado Springs police detective to Chicago to interview witnesses in a death penalty case involving a man accused of killing a cop. Newsome stayed two extra days to attend a college football game in South Bend, Ind., and left taxpayers with the bill for the extra expenses - $699 for hotel rooms, a rental car and per diem. He repaid the county $584.90 on April 24, after a KOAA reporter asked for his travel documents on April 1.

Newsome denied wrongdoing, saying he always intended to pay back the money. He also apologized for the drinking incident.
But during the campaign, Newsome continued to blame the media for his public relations black eye.

"Why build a campaign on criminal justice issues when you can get the media to focus on beer and football," Newsome wrote on his campaign website.

May's campaign co-chairman David Webster, a former deputy under Newsome, said May was a much stronger candidate this time.
"Last time, he was campaigning not to lose," Webster said. "This time, he campaigned to win."

"I was in this race because the community spoke out," May said. "That's why the petition process is so important - it means the man on the street can have his input."

May said it was too early to talk about specific changes at the office.

Contact the writer: 636-0110 or dennis.huspeni@gazette.com