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McInnis Unlikely to Run for Governor

by: Colorado Pols

Mon Jan 16, 2006 at 23:00:00 PM MST

File this in the "no s***" department": former Rep. Scott McInnis told the Glenwood Post Independent that he is unlikely to run for governor:

Former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis has all but ruled out a run for governor, fearing his advocacy on behalf of Western Slope water interests could douse his chances of winning the Republican primary. McInnis said he isnt saying no altogether to the idea, but he indicated that its highly unlikely. Right now my real focus is completing my relocation to Colorado and not the governors race, he said...

...As he looked at a run for governor, McInnis said, he learned that his history on water issues might hurt him in the Colorado Springs area. I received several reminders of my clashes on water over there, McInnis said. Thats a problem because the Colorado Springs area is heavily Republican and will be well-represented in the state Republican convention and primary, McInnis said.

Pat Waak, chairperson of the Colorado Democratic Party, thinks McInnis Western Slope perspective would have made him a solid contender in the Republican primary. But she said it could be hard for someone with a history of advocating for the Western Slope on water to convince the rest of the state that he has sympathy for their position on water. Any candidate running for governor is going to have to try to find a place of balance on water, she said.

McInnis said the only way he could imagine running is if something happened where he could get around the convention problem. An alternative is to skip the convention altogether and petition onto the primary ballot. But that creates a lot of dissension in the party, and thats just not my focus, he said.

Katy Atkinson, a Republican political analyst in Colorado, said McInnis was lobbied by a number of prominent party members about a year ago to run for Congress, but its late in the process now. The only way she could see McInnis entering the race is if U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez dropped out and decided to run again for Colorados 7th Congressional District seat, and a movement to draft McInnis to replace him developed.

But she doesnt see any reason Beauprez, the presumed front-runner in the race, would pull out. He is scheduled to formally announce his candidacy today.

Let's not pretend that water had anything to do with this, because it didn't. McInnis tried a draft campaign for governor, but nobody cared, and he was really never a serious contender anyway once Beauprez announced his intentions to run for governor. We had long ago discounted McInnis as a serious candidate and removed him from the Governor Line altogether last week.

McInnis may not be entirely out of the race, however...there is a chance he could reappear as a Lt. Governor candidate.

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McInnis Unlikely to Run for Governor | 7 comments

File this in the "no

File this in the "no s***" department": former Rep. Scott McInnis told the Glenwood Post Independent that he is unlikely to run for governor:
......................

And in a related development:

File this in the "no s***" department": current Mayor John Hickenlooper told the Denver Post that he is unlikely to run for governor.

So why doesn't ColoradoPols print the same smarmy statement about Mayor Hickenlooper?

by: BadMoonRising @ Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 00:00:00 AM CST

Because nobody was e

Because nobody was ever really asking McInnis to run for governor, save for a small handful of admirers. It's a completely different situation. Do you honestly think anyone was surprised to hear McInnis' comments?

Whatever Hickenlooper finally decides will be a surprise to a lot of people, because there are a lot of folks who think he will run and an equal number who think he will not. There is no foregone conclusion here. Hickenlooper has gone out of his way to say "I never said never" and the recruitment has been ongoing.

by: Colorado Pols @ Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 00:00:00 AM CST

There were plenty of

There were plenty of people asking Scott to run. The main reason he didn't run--and probably won't ever run--is he's making too much money to justify running for governor (or anything else, for that matter). For as long as I've known Scott, he's been talking about leaving Congress and making seven figures as a lobbyist. Surprise, surprise: He left and now he's really making that money (unlike Campbell). There's more to Scott's decision, but nothing like what this post talks about.

Scott was encouraged to run, could have done well, and will not--absolutely not--leave Hogan & Hartson to run for governor or lieutenant governor.

by: Lebowski993 @ Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 00:00:00 AM CST

I'm with the big Leb

I'm with the big Lebowski on at least the latter point. If Scott wasn't willing to give up the big bucks to run for Gov, he sure as hell won't give them up for the chump change a Lt. Gov. gets.
If there is a "surprise" there, it will be Mike Coffman, though he seems all out for SOS, to a degree that makes me a bit uncomfortable considering he is still a service Marine officer. But Mike as Lt. Gov. puts his squarely into policy issues. SOS is a glorified county clerk.

by: Voyageur @ Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 00:00:00 AM CST

I agree with you, Mr

I agree with you, Mr. President, that Mike wants to be gov. but to my knowledge, no secretary of state has ever made the upgrade, certainly not in the modern (post WWII) era. FRankly, neither has a lt. gov. Except for John Vanderhoof, who became Gov. when John Love went to Washington as Nixon's energy Czar. Schoettler was nominated but didn't make it. Romer and Owens were both Treasurer first, which ezxplains why Mike landed there. I see no sign he wants to be lt. gov, except that if Gigi does get the lock on the nomination, it might be a way for Mike to stay in the game. Still, signs are he is set on SOS and the Republicans can hardly turn down a war hero, of sorts, in favor of a (ptui, ) moderate republican like Gigi. In November, it may be a different matter since no man has won SOS since Byron A Andy Anderson was re-elected for the zillioneth time in 1970. He died in office, opening the way for Vanderhoof to appoint Mary Estill Buchanan and start the distaff rule of the office.

by: Voyageur @ Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 00:00:00 AM CST

Correct me someone,

Correct me someone, but it's seems to have been a long time since a male had the SOS job. Whatever party runs a female candidate will probably have an edge.

by: WestSloper @ Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 00:00:00 AM CST