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RIFLE, COLORADO - Retired county judge and attorney Stephen L. Carter used to think his name was unique.
Until he became a candidate for Garfield County Commissioner in District 3.
Informally known as "Steve Carter," he has since found out there are several others out there with his name, some of whom have caused some confusion for the democratic candidate.
"I always thought my name was unusual, but it isn't," Carter admitted. "So I started looking it up (on the Internet.)"
Through a software program that lists registered voters in the state, he found 22 Steve Carters.
Three of them have the same middle initial as the candidate. And he found others around the country: a dentist, a computer programmer, a famous African-American Yale law school professor and author, a musician in the Steve Carter Connextions band, an attorney general for the state of Indiana, a jazz guitarist, an Australian rugby player and a former president of Cingular before it merged with AT&T.
But there's a Steve Carter in the Denver area who has an extensive criminal record that includes five drunk driving arrests.
"I think I have a lot more in common with the law school professor than I do the criminal," Carter joked.
Locally, there are two Steve Carters. One is a Realtor in Glenwood Springs and another is a 24-year-old Rifle resident.
"Once I announced that I was running for office, the rumor mills started circulating," Carter said with a chuckle. "Somebody must be accessing criminal justice records because some people, including prominent politicians, were asking, 'Is there something you haven't told us about your DUI's?'"
Carter said if anyone wanted to know his driving record, they can ask his insurance agent.
"Although I did have a speeding ticket in Glenwood Springs in 1972," he said with a laugh. "But I paid it. I'm not the person in the Denver area with this horrible record."
Others were confused when they saw real estate signs around the county that listed Steve Carter with Re-Max in Glenwood Springs.
"A lot of people thought I was getting into real estate," Carter said.
And Carter the real estate broker, whose name is Stephen M. Carter, had to give explanations.
"In the beginning of his campaign, I was getting lots of calls from people thinking I was running for office and how was I going to do real estate and be a county commissioner," he said with a laugh. "And (the judge) and I were getting each other's e-mails."
Commissioner candidate Carter said he has met the young Rifle man who shares his name, which can sometimes confuse the clerks in the video department at City Market.
"He's very nice," Carter said. "But let's just say, we don't have the same taste in movies."
Carter, a Democrat, is running against Republican Mike Samson, the dean of students at Rifle High School, for the District 3 seat. Republican Larry McCown currently holds the seat, but is not seeking re-election.
Until he became a candidate for Garfield County Commissioner in District 3.
Informally known as "Steve Carter," he has since found out there are several others out there with his name, some of whom have caused some confusion for the democratic candidate.
"I always thought my name was unusual, but it isn't," Carter admitted. "So I started looking it up (on the Internet.)"
Through a software program that lists registered voters in the state, he found 22 Steve Carters.
Three of them have the same middle initial as the candidate. And he found others around the country: a dentist, a computer programmer, a famous African-American Yale law school professor and author, a musician in the Steve Carter Connextions band, an attorney general for the state of Indiana, a jazz guitarist, an Australian rugby player and a former president of Cingular before it merged with AT&T.
But there's a Steve Carter in the Denver area who has an extensive criminal record that includes five drunk driving arrests.
"I think I have a lot more in common with the law school professor than I do the criminal," Carter joked.
Locally, there are two Steve Carters. One is a Realtor in Glenwood Springs and another is a 24-year-old Rifle resident.
"Once I announced that I was running for office, the rumor mills started circulating," Carter said with a chuckle. "Somebody must be accessing criminal justice records because some people, including prominent politicians, were asking, 'Is there something you haven't told us about your DUI's?'"
Carter said if anyone wanted to know his driving record, they can ask his insurance agent.
"Although I did have a speeding ticket in Glenwood Springs in 1972," he said with a laugh. "But I paid it. I'm not the person in the Denver area with this horrible record."
Others were confused when they saw real estate signs around the county that listed Steve Carter with Re-Max in Glenwood Springs.
"A lot of people thought I was getting into real estate," Carter said.
And Carter the real estate broker, whose name is Stephen M. Carter, had to give explanations.
"In the beginning of his campaign, I was getting lots of calls from people thinking I was running for office and how was I going to do real estate and be a county commissioner," he said with a laugh. "And (the judge) and I were getting each other's e-mails."
Commissioner candidate Carter said he has met the young Rifle man who shares his name, which can sometimes confuse the clerks in the video department at City Market.
"He's very nice," Carter said. "But let's just say, we don't have the same taste in movies."
Carter, a Democrat, is running against Republican Mike Samson, the dean of students at Rifle High School, for the District 3 seat. Republican Larry McCown currently holds the seat, but is not seeking re-election.
