He was confident he could win, and big donors appeared ready to help, but Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper walked away from the Democratic race for governor today saying he still has promises to keep to the city’s voters.
“One of the reasons I ran for elected office was that we wanted to show people that local government could carry through on its commitments, that it would practice what it preaches, that people could put the good of the city above their own personal ambitions,” Hickenlooper said.
The decision is a disappointment to some Democrats, who hoped for a more liberal alternative to former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, an abortion opponent.
Ritter, Democratic state Rep. Gary Lindstrom of Breckenridge, Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez and former University of Denver President Marc Holtzman, also a Republican, are seeking to replace GOP Gov. Bill Owens, who is barred from running by term limits.
Independent polltaker Floyd Ciruli said several influential, wealthy Democrats were urging Hickenlooper to run.
Hickenlooper said he studied all of the pros and cons, including the dirt he expected to be thrown in the race, and felt he could win.
“No one would have outworked us,” he said.
Ciruli said Ritter can’t count on the money that would have gone to Hickenlooper because the contributors have a different agenda than his.
Many of the state Democratic Party’s big donors are concerned about Ritter’s Catholic upbringing and his conservative stand on social issues, Ciruli said.
“He’s the Holy Mother Church,” Ciruli said. “He appears unacceptable to a big wing of the party.” Ritter said campaign finance has made wealthy donors less relevant to candidate committees after contributions were reduced four years ago from $5,000 to $1,000 in the governor’s race. Ritter said he’s counting on small-town tours to ensure he is known statewide.
After eight weeks of waiting on the popular mayor to make up his mind, Ritter breathed a sigh of relief.
“He said he was not going to run, that it was a close call. He had two different speeches written. He chose the one that we preferred,” said Ritter.
Ritter insisted the delay didn’t hurt his campaign because he spent the time touring the state and refused to change his schedule while waiting.
Lindstrom said the delay hurt him and the party because donors were waiting to find out if Hickenlooper was in the race.
“It put everything at a standstill. I think the campaign would have started a month ago,” Lindstrom said.
Hickenlooper said he called other candidates and apologized for taking so long.
When he announced his decision Monday, he joked about at least part of the delay. “I hope you appreciate I let you enjoy your Super Bowl yesterday,” he said.
Ciruli said Hickenlooper, whose term ends in July 2007, felt an obligation to finish it.
“Fundamentally, he was two years out of sync. He felt pressure to keep working on the job and drawing his Cabinet together. There was too much weighing against it,” Ciruli said.
State Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, said she is considering running now that Hickenlooper is not because the party needs a candidate besides Ritter.
“To win, you need to be able to excite your own base and get crossover from independents and the other party,” she said. She declined to elaborate.
