Denver Mayor Hickenlooper to Run for Governor

Denver's Mayor John Hickenlooper announced today that he will run as a Democrat for Governor of Colorado following current Governor Bill Ritter's surprise announcement last week that he will not seek re-election. Last week's announcement by Governor Bill Ritter sent shock-waves not only through Colorado Residents, but the Democratic Party itself. As always, there was plenty of speculation about whom the Democrats would choose to take his place in this very important Governor's race, even to the point of the White House announcing that they would not stand in the way if Interior Secretary Ken Salazar decided to step down and take up the challenge himself, according to the Denver Post.

According to a recent 9News.com article, Just moments after the announcement, focus turned to what many considered to be the front-runners for a Democratic nomination which were Salazar, Hickenlooper and Rep. Ed Perlmutter. Just a day after Ritter's announcement, Salazar said he would not run and endorsed Hickenlooper. Perlmutter later did the same thing, saying he would not run.

Salazar was thought to be considering entering the Gubernatorial Race, and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper indicated that while he was considering a run himself, he would defer to Secretary Salazar if the Secretary if the Interior decided to run. As it turns out, it was a bit reversed from what was first thought to be the case. Salazar has decided not to run for Governor, and endorsed Hickenlooper's bid on January 7, 2010, if Hickenlooper decided to run.

As of 4:15PM (MST) today, it is official, and Denver's Mayor John Hickenlooper will pursue the office and run for Governor. In watching the Press Conference this afternoon, Mayor Hickenlooper kept it very simple saying, "We have waited long enough, let's get to it. My name is John Hickenlooper and I want to be the next Governor of Colorado!" In his speech, he mentioned many things that he has done in the past 6 years as Mayor, and made a point of saying that he has helped to foster a "more effective and efficient Government."

For Denver residents like myself, this could not be better news. Since he ha been Mayor, he has introduced a number of Programs and other Initiatives that have made life in Denver a bit easier, and has helped propel us forward. Some of the Programs he has introduced have been Denver311, Greenprint Denver, and Denver's Road Home.

Denver311 was set up to give people information about things most of us would normally never be able to find through months of research. I have personally utilized the service on many occasions, and it can be used to report annoying noisy neighbors, constantly barking dogs, etc. What sets this apart is that you actually get contacted back, and if necessary, you can be referred to other Departments that may assist you more efficiently.

Greenprint Denver is a huge step forward. According to the Mayor's website, Greenprint Denver demonstrates local government can be an effective force for innovation and leadership to improve the environment.

Denver's Road Home has been set up to help reduce the problem of Homelessness in the Denver area.

For more information about some of the programs he has introduced, visit The Office of the Mayor page through the City of Denver.

According to 9NEWS political analyst Floyd Ciruli, "The mayor is the logical choice frankly. The Democratic bench got a bit thinner after him. The Democrats needed Hickenlooper to run. You know he gave it very serious thought four years ago. I think the time is right for him now. He's done his time in Denver. He was ready to go," Ciruli said. "He walks into this race with the advantage of being seen as a non-partisan and he is extremely well liked throughout the Denver metro area, including in the Republican suburbs."

I agree with him. Many people may have forgotten, but Hickenlooper was an executive member of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee and helped lead the successful campaign for Denver to host the landmark 2008 Democratic National Convention, which was also the centennial anniversary of the city's hosting of the 1908 Democratic National Convention. This could be a huge benefit to his candidacy.

One issue that I see could keep Mayor Hickenlooper from claiming the Governor's seat is the fact that he has never run a State-Wide Election. It is true that he won the Mayor's Seat in 2003, and was re-elected in 2007, but that was only the Denver area. There are many Republican clusters across Colorado that could give the race to Republican Candidates. Former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis and Evergreen businessman Dan Maes are the two most likely candidates, and a lot could depend on which one ends up as the Republican nominee. It could end up being a very tight race, but Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has already proven in two previous races that he is a very good fund-raiser.

It could all come down to the bottom line in this election.

Sources:
Governor Ritter Website: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=GovRitter%2FGOVRLayout&cid=1251569609721&pagename=GOVRWrapper
Denver Post: http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_14141827#ixzz0bxHvHoAx
9News.com: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=130610&catid=339
9News.com: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=130541&catid=222
Mayor's Website: http://www.denvergov.org/Default.aspx?alias=www.denvergov.org/mayor