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June 10, 2009 11:45 PM UTC

May Mike May be Governor?

  • 35 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

We’d heard rumors off and on that House Minority Leader Mike May might consider a run for Governor, though we’ve never heard anything really serious about it. But Westword poses the question today:

Among Governor Bill Ritter’s latest politically dubious moves was his decision to create a new chief operating officer gig, with a salary of $146,000, to oversee federal stimulus money. That’s red meat for the GOP, and House leader Mike May chomped into it like a starving Rottweiler, declaring in a statement that “the job description for this new position is the job description for the governor of the state of Colorado. To hire someone and pay them to do your job and take the responsibility if something goes wrong is just incredible to me…. If he doesn’t want the job, or can’t do the job, he should let someone else step forward.”

Someone like… Mike May? There’s already a Mike May for Colorado Governor 2010 Facebook page. Moreover, the snippiness of Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer’s dismissal of May’s gripes — he called him “Colorado’s own little shock-and-awe show” — suggests that the governor’s office doesn’t want to treat May like a viable rival by taking him seriously. Problem is, May is apt to find plenty of support for his position about the COO matter, particularly in this economy. That’s hardly shocking — except maybe to the ever-shrinking number of Ritter faithful.

What think you, Polsters? Poll follows…

May Mike May Be Governor in 2010?

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Comments

35 thoughts on “May Mike May be Governor?

  1. Here’s what Mike May said of Josh Penry during their joint news conference in GJ a week or two ago (from the Daily Sentinel):

    “House Minority Leader Mike May called Penry the “next governor” Tuesday at a news conference held by the two men in Grand Junction.”

    http://www.gjsentinel.com/news

    Westword (as usual) is on crack.

        1. Problem is, May is apt to find plenty of support for his position about the COO matter, particularly in this economy. That’s hardly shocking — except maybe to the ever-shrinking number of Ritter faithful.

            1. They asked you for your opinion. I gave mine by agreeing to Ram2010 and calling out Pols as to their double speak (May comments on our next Guv, Penry).

    1. Although the Colorado Republican Party is a mess, there’s no way the entire party will be content with a choice between two guys (one of whom used to work for the other) from a dusty, far-western outpost. Somebody from the Front Range eventually will step up as it becomes clear that neither Penry nor McInnis is capable of taking down Ritter.

      1. Name a Front Range candidate? Beauprez? Schaefer?

        Second, don’t discount McInnis’ persistence on the campaign trail. I’m not talking the inside baseball stuff, but the go-meet-the-voters activities. Plus, McInnis is not a wingnut.

  2. … suggests that the governor’s office doesn’t want to treat May like a viable rival

    There are really two explanations for that, Westword.

    1) The gubnor’s afeared o’ Mike May

    2) Mike May isn’t a viable rival.

    One’s more likely than the other.

    1. But Colorado voters won’t take a chance on an indie. Too many dedicated Rs and Ds in this state.

      Wow. Wouldn’t a good run by an independent be fun to watch?

      1. I think there are more people registered Unaffiliated than either party (or close).  And, an Unaffiliated candidate doesn’t have to get a majority to win; only more votes than any other candidate.

        But, Marostica only has about a week left to change his registration, if he wanted to run as a U in the 2010 general election.

        1. that an unaffiliated registration means lack of preference for either party. You’re right, there are slightly more unaffiliated voters than either Democrats or Republicans in the state (though it’s basically a three-way tie), but there are plenty of reasons someone who considers herself a D or an R might be registered without affiliation.

          For instance, plenty of voters are still registered by spouses, though this is less frequent than it used to be. Spouses can register each other but can’t declare an affiliation. And there are plenty of folks who have a party preference but register unaffiliated because of their job or to avoid getting party solicitations or calls from pollsters.

          If Marostica spent his money like Ross Perot and developed a personality like Jesse Ventura, maybe he’d have a chance, but he’s basically an old-school version of Bill Ritter, get-er-done kind of centrist. Those kind of independents seldom, if ever, catch fire.

    1. if Mike May (or Bob Schaffer!) ran for governor?

      4. And isn’t the max contribution like $250? I don’t know that that’d sway his decision to run.

      1. I don’t see how running or not running for Treasurer would change anything

        If anything, running for Treasurer puts me in a better position to endorse someone, including traveling around the state and promoting their name

        Contribution to a candidate for Governor, I believe, is well over $2000? Regardless, no, that would not sway his decision, but I would do anything I could to help Mike May

        In running for HD56, I called a lot of Republican leaders to help me with my race — most responded well and did what they could, but Mike May and Bob Schaffer made special points to personally travel to Lake, Summit, and Eagle, campaigning directly with me on many trips – that’s something I’ll never forget, as their efforts won over a lot of votes for our campaign

        1. Why not Mike May?

          He has a terrific record in the State House, is a family man, and most importantly in these fiscally-difficult times, is a successful businessman and job creator, who is completely self-made

          Such a resume is something that few candidates can boast, and if advertised well, his moderate Republican message would play extremely well all over the state

          Well – count one Republican who wishes our good Minority Leader were running for this position….

          1. That whole thing about quitting the House to tend to his inns and throwing the House minority into a turmoil with what seems now like an ill-considered, snap decision.

            There are plenty of well-liked family men (sadly, mostly men) in the minority at the legislature. May’s a good guy but is entirely unknown outside his district, which doesn’t bode well for launching a statewide campaign against an incumbent. He’s never had a tough race, either, or demonstrated strong fundraising ability.

            Also, that might be viewed as unseemly if you were to endorse a gubernatorial candidate while in a primary of your own. Not that it’s unheard of, but it would be unusual.

            And you should familiarize yourself with state contribution limits. It’s strange you think it’s “well over $2,000,” unless you plan to exploit loopholes in the law. For governor, it’s $500; it’s $200 for state legislative races.

              1. or that you were jumping ahead of the primary. So your max contribution to Mike May would be $525. (I hadn’t realized it had gone up from $500, thanks for pointing that out.)

  3. The job of governor is a full-time political job from talking to the legislators, pressing the flesh, those all-important interviews with bloggers, etc. Having a seperate person to, under the direction of the governor, do the job of running the state makes a lot of sense.

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