Presidential candidate Hickenlooper to hold town hall in Atlanta next week

Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper will answer questions at a town hall next week in Atlanta to be hosted by CNN.

The town hall will be held at the CNN Center with political correspondent Dana Bash at 10 p.m. on March 20. It’s the latest in a series of town halls hosted by the Atlanta-based news network.

The former Colorado governor kicked off his campaign last week with a series of TV appearances and rallies in Colorado, Iowa and Texas. His campaign said he raised $1 million in the first two days.

Hickenlooper is one of more than a dozen Democratic candidates to enter the race, and he’s trying to stand out in the crowded field by presenting himself as a pragmatic centrist who can spar with President Donald Trump.

He’s highlighted his record as a big-city mayor and the Republican support he received as governor of Colorado that helped him secure liberal policies in a swing state. He’s also refused to join efforts embraced by his party’s liberal wing, such as Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, and he has promised an above-the-fray campaign that refuses to run attack ads.

Hickenlooper will join a growing number of presidential contenders to stump in Georgia, which Democrats hope to put in play during the 2020 election. U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar recently visited, as did former Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz.

And Stacey Abrams, who was runner-up to Gov. Brian Kemp in November, this week raised the possibility of a White House run.

Hickenlooper