In 1970, Schroeder's husband Jim ran for the Colorado state legislature but lost by only 42 votes. In the same election, 20-year Democratic incumbent Byron Rogers of Colorado's first district, based in Denver, lost a primary challenge to more liberal Craig Barnes, leading to Republican Mike McKevitt winning. For the 1972 election, Jim had asked a man who had declined to run for Congress if his wife would run, to which the man had asked him back: "What about yours?" Though Jim dismissed it at first, the Schroeders realized that Pat would make a good candidate - she had good credentials with labor groups through her work at NLRB, also with education groups through her work at public schools, and was opposed to the Vietnam War.