BREAKING: John Hickenlooper considering dropping Presidential bid, running for Senate

[brooklynite]

New York Times

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa — Former Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado is in discussions about ending his presidential bid and entering the race for his state’s Republican-held Senate seat, potentially giving Democrats a strong candidate in a race they must win to have hopes of retaking the chamber in 2021, according to four Democrats familiar with his thinking.

Mr. Hickenlooper, who is mired at the bottom of public polling of the presidential race, hopped into Senator Michael Bennet’s car on Friday night in this Northern Iowa town to discuss his impending decision, said Democrats familiar with the discussion, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe confidential talks.

The two drove around Clear Lake for about 20 minutes ahead of the Wing Ding dinner, a Democratic fund-raiser that drew 21 presidential candidates. Aides and advisers to the two men, who have been both allies and rivals over their careers in Colorado politics, declined to reveal what was discussed.

Officials who have been in discussions with the Hickenlooper campaign said Tuesday that the former two-term governor is giving serious consideration to switching to the Senate race but stressed that a final decision has not yet been made. Short of a massive change in political momentum, Mr. Hickenlooper is certain to fail to qualify for the next round of presidential debates in September, an additional blow to a campaign struggling to attract attention and financial contributions.

I'm ready to write my check

[hlthe2b]

1. As I'd hoped he would all along.

And thank you, if you do write a check.

[Tiggeroshii]

2. Pretty sure that's almost a guaranteed pick up if he does.

Hope it's true!!

[lagomorph777]

44. +1 We need 27 more Senators and Governors.

We only get ONE President.

[tblue37]

3. That would be a good move. nt

[oasis]

4. Good. Hats off to both of you.

[calguy]

5. That would be a good move on his part

He isn't going to get any traction as a presidential candidate. He can do a lot of good as a Senator.

[brooklynite]

6. A friend in then know said she heard this through private channels last week...

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced she wouldn't run for Gov yesterday......

Developing...

[PatrickforO]

14. Hmm. I hadn't thought of that. I wonder who will step up.

I like Jena Griswold a lot. But then Young is good as well. And I like Phil Weiser quite a bit as well. I wonder what Dianne Primavera's intentions are?

[we can do it]

7. Will donate to any of ours who do that.

[curlyred]

8. not my favorite Colorado Democrat but I think even I could get behind him!

If he would run for Senate. I really think he could win this one.

[Thekaspervote]

9. Go John! The senate needs you

[comradebillyboy]

10. I like Hickenlooper, he would be a great Senator.

[IronLionZion]

11. The presidential campaign might have helped his Senate chances

by getting him national exposure and donations

Some other candidates should consider doing the same in their states. Ride the blue wave to victory

[PatrickforO]

12. OK, I could accept Hick as opposed to Cory Gardner.

I'd rather see someone else, though. Neguse is really good. And I think he is dynamic enough to beat Gardner. All Hickenlooper has is name recognition. He really is not as dynamic as Gardner.

As governor, Hickenlooper wasn't wildly popular by any means, but he wasn't hated either.

He is an oil and gas guy, though, and I'm still pissed he stood up at a podium and drank a glass of something he claimed was fracking fluid. It was on Hick's watch that our local governments got 'cease and desist' orders from the state seeking to prohibit local governments from imposing any additional regulations on fracking beyond what the state had set forth. Of course, all the local governments fought that tooth and nail. Colorado is really fierce that way.

So, would Hick be better than Gardner?

Oh, yes. Absolutely.

Is he the greatest?

No, but he'll do.

I would still rather have Neguse.

[Celerity]

23. was hoping Jena Griswold would run, but yes, Neguse would be great

I am sure many will say Hickenlooper has the best shot so ideology is thus tossed out the window, but I think whoever wins our primary will beat Gardner, and Hickenlooper is really far too centrist for my taste (Colorado is not a red state,, so that type of argument is not going to fly with me.)

Did not like his comparing our progressive ideas to Stalin and Karl Marx at all (that also gives the Rethugs perfect ammo to spread that shit), and he is far too pro-fracking for my taste (he even drank fracking fluid and bragged about it.)

I think he will probably win the primary and thus the general, but he may be an issue down the road on a lot of even slightly left-progressive legislation and may side with big healthcare and big banking on some things too, similar to Heitkamp, Donnelly, etc.

Time will tell.

[h2ebits]

26. Hick is definitely a corporatist

I liked him as Mayor of Denver. I disliked him as Governor. Definitely an oil & gas flag waver and held us back from establishing good rules that are people centric and safety oriented.

I really have held my nose with his nasty comments about progressives in his bid for president. Too bad for him. He'll be primaried if he runs for Senate and I will vote for the other person whoever they are as long as they are blue.

[pnwpolicy]

47. Agree. CO is more progressive now

This reflexive "centrists scoop up everyone in right if Gardner" feels wrong. CO is pretty left now and Hickenlooper doesnt impress on several core issues to the demographics that turned CO blue/purple. New blood would be good.

[Hortensis]

13. Less liberal than I prefer, but I like him and hope this is the case.

Reportedly, he already polls very well for senator.

[Princetonian]

15. Great news. Ready to write my checks too.

Link to tweet

[still_one]

16. Good- that's where we need him

[DavidDvorkin]

17. I'd rather he just dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Romanoff for senate

Not that he would. There seems to be bad blood between them.

But Hickenlooper could just not endorse at all, just fade away.

[h2ebits]

27. I agree with you

[kag]

39. Yes!

Thank you!

Andrew Romanoff is a REAL Democrat, the kind we need in the Senate. We already have one corporate shill in Bennet, and by all rights Romanoff should have Bennet's seat. (One of the things I will never forgive Obama for was endorsing Bennet in the primary in 2010.)

I'm kind of annoyed at all of the people posting here who think this is such a great idea. I'm just assuming they're mostly not from Colorado and don't know our politics.

[Pacifist Patriot]

46. You're probably right.

I thought it was a great idea until I started doing some research and read editorials and posts from people in Colorado. Glad I kept my mouth shut.

[mcar]

18. Hurrah!

He'd be a great Senate candidate.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

19. You have to wonder if this is the first domino to fall in the crowded field?

Smart move on Hickenlooper's part, and probably a good outcome for the party.

Will Beto and/or Castro ultimately follow suit?

[peggysue2]

20. Good News!

From what I read this morning, Hickenlooper would be leading the field for the Senate seat. Good for him and good for the Democratic Party.

[BadgerMom]

21. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Would donate!

[calimary]

22. That'd be good. It'd be mighty nice to flip another Senate seat.

How safe is the governorship in Colorado? Could we keep it blue?

[Gore1FL]

24. I hope some of the others follow suit.

There are several who could make a big impact and perhaps even provide coattails in some normally unlikely areas.

[Hulk]

25. GREAT!! I hope Beto is next!

Honestly, in the situation we are presently in, the Senate seats are AS IMPORTANT as the White House...or damned near. Without the Senate, we are still fook'd.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

37. You and me both

I would have love to see him be a strong presidential candidate but it’s just not happening. I think he might be able to win the Senate this time

[Demsrule86]

43. It really is...McConnell will kneecap us in the Senate and bank on getting the house back at the

midterm which could easily happen. Since the complaints and blame will be heaped on a Democratic president by the far right, the far left and the media.

[hobby10113]

28. Be nice to see Gardner gone!

I hope he can beat him.

[highplainsdem]

29. Good news!

[TeamPooka]

30. I will donate to his senate campaign right away if he does it

[BlueIdaho]

31. The Presidency without a Senate majority

Isn’t going to do us much good - at least legislatively.

[sprinkleeninow]

32. Good call! Most excellent call! ☺ 👏 eom

[SunSeeker]

33. K & R

[IndyOp]

34. Please Mr. Hickenlooper - I am so impressed by your work in CO

Would love to see you continue to work for CO and for us all! Especially regarding providing excellent birth control - IUD - to young women for free. Substantial drop in pregnancy and abortion rates.

If anyone sees a link to donate to him when he declares his Senate bid - I am in!

Clarify which policies I really like - I am sorry to learn he’s pro- fracking.

[Rebl2]

35. Please do!

[Blue_true]

36. He should have run for the Senate to begin with. nt

[Wawannabe]

38. Damn fine idea

He will ahve a chance of getting office that way. Otherwise. No chance.

[kag]

40. Ugh. Do any of the people posting here know that Colorado already has a GREAT candidate for Senate?

I'm amazed and very disappointed that all of the people posting here think this is such a great idea.

We NEED Andrew Romanoff in the Senate. Hick was okay as a governor, but as he himself has said, he is unsuited to working in a legislature, and really wants an "executive" position.

Romanoff was the best Speaker of the CO House we've ever had. He would be an amazing Senator, and is a REAL Democrat. Has everyone forgotten that Hickenlooper was "rumored" years ago to consider running as VP to John Kasich if he had won the Republican nomination?

And just for clarity, I do not know either man personally. I've just lived in Colorado long enough to know our politics, and know who would make the best Senator for our state.

[Demsrule86]

42. Romanoff is unlikely to win.

It doesn't matter how great a person will be once elected if he/she doesn't win election...Hickenlooper has the best chance according to polls.

[kag]

45. I strongly disagree.

I know his record, but I also know that in the 2010 caucuses he beat the crap out of Bennet. If Obama hadn't endorsed Bennet in the primary Romanoff would have the seat Bennet does now.

I also know that he lost to Mike Coffman in 2016. The year of Trump. Jason Crow barely won that seat two years later in the Democratic wave when Dems came out strong, and Republicans were tired of Trump.

Romanoff not only has a good chance of beating Gardner, I think he has the BEST chance. He's compelling, a great debater, and very strong on policy. And he WANTS to be in the Senate. Hickenlooper just wants to be elected to SOMETHING. I truly don't think he cares what. He just wants a bunch of people to vote for him.

And as I have said, Romanoff is a true Democrat, unlike Hick who goes around warning Democrats not to embrace socialism. Romanoff knows his shit, and would beat Gardner handily.

[Demsrule86]

41. I hope he does...and Beto should run in Texas for the Senate.

[Curtis]

48. A few ore should do this too

Beto and Bullock come to mind too