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August 26, 2005 08:00 AM UTC

Line Changes

  • 34 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

With Senator Ken Salazar seemingly out of the race for governor, we thought it a good time to change the Big Line. Here’s what went down…

Republican Marc Holtzman keeps his hold on the top spot because right now he’s doing more and doing it better than any other candidate. Will that change in the next 14 months? Maybe, but we’re no Herb Rubenstein, so we’re not talking about the future. Larimer County straw polls aside, Holtzman has the stronger campaign — today — than Republican Bob Beauprez.

The biggest move is with Democrat Bill Ritter, who leaps to the highest spot on the list he’s seen in months (okay, maybe ever). Ritter’s got a Website up and running now and is starting to get out on the road more, and as such he’s slowly moved past the running-in-cement State Senator Joan Fitz-Gerald. Fitz-Gerald had all the buzz a few weeks ago, but enthusiasm for a potential candidacy as waned as she insists that she will wait until November to decide. Why the change? Fitz-Gerald is an interesting candidate at first glance, but when as some Democrats have gotten down to the nuts and bolts of what kind of candidate she’d be, there’s a little more wariness in their tone. She could be gone by November at this rate.

Meanwhile, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper continues to get love letters from Democrats hoping he’ll enter the race. Hick still sounds like he’s leaning against running, but he hasn’t closed the door all the way.

The only other notable change on the Big Line this week is in CD-5, where Pastor Ted Haggard’s strange foray into International diplomacy certainly pushes up the ol’ name ID and is a good signal that he plans to at least make himself a viable potential candidate in 2006.

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34 thoughts on “Line Changes”

  1. Sounds like he has closed the door … all the way.

    Hickenlooper says he’s not running for governor

    DENVER (AP) – Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper announced he is not entering next year’s governor’s race, the second prominent Democrat this week to decline running to replace Gov. Bill Owens.

    “The truth is, I love being mayor,” he said. “For who I am, it’s a great job.”

    Hickenlooper’s name resurfaced as a potential candidate when wealthy businessman and think tank founder Rutt Bridges dropped out of the race this month.

    “As I have said for several months, I am not planning on running,” Hickenlooper said. “In the end, the bottom line is I love being mayor.”

    U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., a three-time winner of statewide elections earlier this week said he wasn’t going to run, leaving former Denver District Attorney and abortion opponent Bill Ritter as the sole Democratic candidate.

    Two other Democrats, House Speaker Andrew Romanoff and Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, have not ruled out their potential candidacies.

    The two Republicans in the race are Rep. Bob Beauprez and former University of Denver President Marc Holtzman. Former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell has said he also is considering running.

    Ritter meanwhile waits to hear whether he’ll face an opponent in a primary.

    “We’ll play the hand that’s dealt us,” he said. “The most important thing is to look ahead and not look side to side.

    “What I need to do is concentrate on those things I can control,” he said.

    At least one political consultant believes Ritter has a good chance at becoming governor if he gets past the primary.

    “I think he has an interesting life story,” said political consultant Eric Sondermann. “He’s a centrist by personality. He obviously has a prosecutorial record that can be scrutinized, but he doesn’t have a legislative voting record that can be scrutinized.

  2. Most of your readers have been saying it for a while, and I’m going to pile on too – I think you’re misjudging the Beauprez Holtzman race.  No way is Holtzman almost a 2-1 favorite. Beauprez’ lethargic start has allowed Holtzman to make it a race, but a sitting congressman who hasn’t alienated his party is still likely to win his party’s primary against someone running as an “outsider,” particularly when the oustider does goofy things like announcing celebrity suport he’s not going to deliver and doctoring photos to de-Napolean himself.

    If anyone wants to argue otherwise, I’ll be happy to wager on Colorado Pols’ odds.

  3. MH will be in Pueblo, Larimer, and every county along I-25 this weekend alone.

    He’s working hard. And I’m noticing it, as well as others.

  4. Working hard or not, the lines are definitely not an accurate reflection of the current standings.  Working in Republican circles: at the purely anecdotal level I can say that BB is the favorite at this point.

    Further, I think the statement made by his mailing, which went out 12 months before the primary, does not make a positive statement.  To me it screams impatient, and insecure. 

    I am still trying to make up my mind: Holtzman came out looking like the stronger fiscal conservative over Ref C, which is one of the chief stances I personally vote on, but I have to wonder about the choices hes making.

  5. It is ridiculous to say JFG is “running-in-cement.”  It is FIFTEEN MONTHS away from the 06 election!  She could spend the next two and half months campaigning for C&D; go back and run the Senate in the next session; train for and run the Colfax marathon; build an addition onto her house; train for a shuttle mission to the space station, go on the mission, return to earth; and she would still have plenty of time to run a campaign and win. 
    So, really, trying to rush any Ds into the race and having the “sky is falling” mentality this far out, is pretty foolish and hyperdramatic.

  6. I don’t think anyone will argure with you Alan that there is a awful lot of green on the table in the GOV race, but the GOP is off to a BIG start.
    Sure they are divided into two camps, but those two camps have scared off everyone else. This was supposed to be Coffman’s race and he is out. The lovely LT Gov was looking to make a run, but she is out. Even Tom Weins was going to try.
    Not so the DEMs, Ritter is in, the other big hitters are out, but like the Rocky article said today, no one has the passion for Ritter that the GOP has for their guys. The DEMs are dipping into their 2nd string to find someone, anyone to run against Ritter.
    When I start seeing the short jokes about Fitzie, I’ll be impressed with the DEM 2006 machine.

  7. ColoradoPols wake up!  Saying you will keep Holtzman ranked above Beauprez in your odds because Holtzman “has the better campaign- today,” would be like ranking Tom Tancredo ahead of Rudy Guliani because Tom has “the better campaign right now.”

  9. Maybe Angie should be moved up as well on the 4th CD Line. She’s taller than MM… depending on how she does her hair in the morning of course.

  10. LOL!
    Oh my God, I just had a vision:
    Dueling “Beehive Hairdos” deciding supremacy in the 4th CD!

    That’s just crazy talk, I’ll back away.

  13. You guys ripped Paccione for her website for a congressional “exploratory” committee but didn’t rip Beauprez for his website for Governor??

    By the way, the DCCC has endorsed her and she was invited to the Emily’s list candidate training in DC. She’s received the so called “strong support” you say she’s lacking.

  16. Good point BB man, but Claudia is a woman so short = good. And Claudia is hot and hot = good too.

    Let’s be serious, Claudia could beat MARc in the govs race.

  17. Good point BB man, but Claudia is a woman so short = good. And Claudia is hot and hot = good too.

    Let’s be serious, Claudia could beat MARc in the govs race.

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