Colorado town seen as swing district

AURORA, Colo., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- The town of Aurora, Colo., outside Denver, facing a growing illegal immigration problem, has become crucial for Republicans in the November elections.

Aurora is in the heart of the 7th U.S. Congressional District, where the immigration issue has made it a swing district in the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives, reports The New York Times.

Congress is not expected to act on major immigration legislation before November but the issue remains a hot campaign topic. The Times report says many Republicans are finding that a hard-line stand on immigration is supported not only by conservatives but also among a wide circle of voters in districts crucial in the coming elections.

The House race in the district to fill the seat being vacated by Republican Bob Beauprez will pit Republican Rick O'Donnell against Democrat Ed Perlmutter.

"I know the voters in my district are adamantly opposed to anything that smacks of amnesty," O'Donnell, who is seen as distancing himself from the Bush administration, was quoted as saying.

Perlmutter says the government also has to deal with the millions of illegal residents in the United States and blames Republicans for allowing the problem to fester.