A turnaround in the economy could make congressional Republicans regret their votes against the economic stimulus package.

At least, that's the hope of Democrat John Flerlage, a political newcomer from Littleton who is gearing up a run against first-term Republican Rep. Mike Coffman in Denver's southern suburbs.

"For me, it will have to be successful," Flerlage said of the $787 billion economic recovery package, which failed to get a single Republican vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Coffman, R-Aurora, opposed the package with a series of House speeches leading up to the vote. Coffman questioned little-noticed provisions that he said would "gut" welfare reform measures passed by Congress in 1996. He also argued that much of the spending was "not stimulative in terms of being jobs-producing" and said it would create recurring expenses that would contribute to budget deficits and inflation.

"This legislation will hurt this country," Coffman told colleagues in a speech earlier this month. "It will hurt us in the short run. It will hurt us in the long run."

But Flerlage, a commercial airline pilot and retired Marine, said he's hopeful the stimulus package and other Democratic-sponsored initiatives will help turn around an economy that began disintegrating when a Republican was in the White House.

"I'm hammering on the fact that it's a long culmination of failed economic policies," Flerlage said.