The Democratic author of Colorado’s Amendment 23, Cary Kennedy, entered the race for state treasurer Thursday.
She presents a sharp contrast to the Republican incumbent, Mark Hillman. A former Republican state senator appointed to the position last year by Gov. Bill Owens, Hillman also is running for election in November.
Like many other Republicans at the Capitol, Hillman blames Amendment 23, the K-12 education spending mandate voters approved in 2000, for the state’s shrinking revenues in recent years. Hillman also opposed November’s Referendums C and D – which Kennedy helped write.
These differences probably will be an important part of the treasurer’s race, Kennedy and Hillman said. Citing the success of Amendment 23 and Referendum C, Kennedy accused Hillman of being “out of step” with voters.
A 10-year veteran of the state budget process who worked in the budget office of former Gov. Roy Romer, Kennedy recently stepped down as the policy director for Democratic state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. Her first priority if elected would be good stewardship of public coffers, she said.
