Opponents say Hickenlooper is wrong person to represent state
John Hickenlooper still considers Washington, D.C., to be a lousy place, even as he prepares to ask Colorado voters to send him there for a six-year gig as U.S. senator.
“I had to make a decision,” the former governor and Denver mayor said in an interview Thursday morning, hours after kicking off his campaign. “Do I just criticize Washington? Do I go and fix it? I spent a lot of time thinking and a lot of time talking to Robin, and I decided this is no time to walk away.”
Hickenlooper says he spoke with many dozens of people, including Colorado’s senior U.S. senator, before announcing his run for the Senate on Thursday. He and Sen. Michael Bennet, a fellow Denver Democrat and his former chief of staff, had a long conversation about it in Iowa.
“I had to think through what it would be like,” Hickenlooper said. “Would I be good at it? Would I like it? Could I make a difference? Everything I’ve ever done in public life has been about: Where can I be of use? Where can I have the most impact? And if you look at it, what Washington probably needs right now in the Senate, more than anything, is people who have that experience of getting people together, finding common ground and getting things done.”
Hickenlooper’s ill-fated presidential run this year relied heavily on criticizing the Democratic Party’s most liberal ideas, and his entrance into the Senate race Thursday disappointed many progressives. Andrew Romanoff, a fellow Senate candidate, said in a lengthy statement that Hickenlooper has much in common with incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma.
“The best way to defeat Cory Gardner is to present a clear alternative. Echoing his talking points will inspire no one,” Romanoff said of Hickenlooper’s past criticisms of single-payer health care and the Green New Deal environmental policy.
State Sen. Angela Williams, a fellow Senate candidate who issued one of the sternest critiques of Hickenlooper before he jumped into the race, doubled down Thursday morning. In a fundraising email, she said, “This is a race for the U.S. Senate, not a consolation prize!”
“Governor Hickenlooper says he’s not done fighting, but a lot of Colorado’s working families are wondering when exactly he started to fight,” Williams, of Denver, said in a statement. “On health care, worker’s rights, climate change, criminal justice reform and
more, Governor Hickenlooper has failed to fight for the progressive solutions our state and country need.”
Other Senate candidates were ginger in their comments on Hickenlooper’s move. Alice Madden welcomed him to the race and said she looks forward to hearing his ideas. John Walsh’s campaign said he has “enormous respect” for Hickenlooper and is “working to plan next steps for this new phase of the race.” Dan Baer vowed to continue campaigning with fresh ideas.
Republicans were quick to rehash past Hickenlooper comments in which he said he wasn’t cut out to be a senator. “We could not agree more,” the Colorado Republican Party said in a statement. When asked about that Thursday, Hickenlooper returned to criticisms of Washington and said his desire to serve Colorado is stronger than his dislike of D.C.
In the interview, Hickenlooper repeatedly criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, as a roadblock to even incremental progress. When asked how to pass legislation in McConnell’s Senate, Hickenlooper laughed and said, “You make sure Mitch McConnell’s not the majority leader going forward.” Then his tone returned to seriousness.
“You have two choices: One, you just make some popcorn and give up; or the other is that you start to build relationships with other Republicans. You try to look for other ways of approaching the different issues,” Hickenlooper said. But, he cautioned, “I’m not saying I’m a magician.”
Some of Colorado’s most powerful Democrats held off on endorsing Hickenlooper on Thursday. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, who spoke to him before his announcement, said she isn’t endorsing in the race yet. Gov. Jared Polis stopped short of formally backing his predecessor at a news conference but had many kind words for Hickenlooper.
“My predecessor led this state out of the Great Recession,” Polis told reporters. “Our economy is one of the strongest in the nation, and of course Colorado would benefit by having someone of his caliber to help tackle the dysfunction in Washington, D.C. There’s many other great candidates who have put their names forward. I hope that this is strong, positive race.”
At the least, Hickenlooper’s move may have closed the door to additional high-profile candidates. U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, DLafayette, and state Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail, said Thursday they’re not joining the race.
Hickenlooper’s entry brings the Senate Democratic primary field to an even dozen candidates. Without criticizing his fellow Democrats, Hickenlooper said Thursday that he believes he’s the best candidate to compete against Gardner and represent Colorado in the Senate.
“There is a lot of talent in the field and I think everyone’s going to make their own cases going forward, but I think I have unique experience going forward as a successful mayor and successful governor,” Hickenlooper said. “I want to be an independent voice for Colorado.”