July 30, 2009 01:49 AM UTC

Wiens Heading Toward Run for U.S. Senate?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Former State Senator Tom Wiens is apparently moving towards taking a shot at the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.

When Wiens announced that he wouldn’t run again for the State Senate last year, it was widely believed that he was clearing his plate to make a run for Governor in 2010. That never materialized, of course, and since then we’ve heard repeated rumors that all was not well with Wiens’ personal financial situation–as indicated as well by a Denver Post story last week.  

We’re not surprised that other Republicans are now looking at the U.S. Senate race after less than inspiring early runs (and fundraising) by Weld County D.A. Ken Buck and Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier.

If Wiens is in a good personal financial position to make a serious run for U.S. Senate, he shouldn’t have much trouble moving to the top of the GOP list. Buck is the favorite at this point, and barring a huge fundraising turnaround in Q3, Frazier’s campaign is pretty well D.O.A., so there is a definite opening on the Republican side for a candidate with better name ID and a stronger background like Wiens. In a Senate race that should be more competitive than it appears thus far, perhaps it was only a matter of time until a more realistic GOP candidate came along. Whether or not that candidate is Wiens remains to be seen.