DENVER—Republican state Sen. Josh Penry said Tuesday his departure from the Colorado governor’s race gives the GOP a better chance of unseating Democrat Bill Ritter next year—but he refused to endorse his main rival, former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis.
Penry told The Associated Press McInnis has better name recognition, more money and a better chance of beating Ritter.
“In light of a real opportunity for Republicans in 2010, the question for me was whether it was right spending millions of dollars to close that gap with Scott or fall back and fight another day,” Penry said.
He also cited last week’s gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia.
“Republicans stand poised to make up much of the ground we’ve lost, as the American people are being reminded in a profound way of the perils of big government once more,” he said.
Penry’s decision leaves McInnis and Evergreen businessman Dan Maes in the race for the Republican nomination.
Penry met with McInnis to seek assurances he will pursue changes in the GOP that Penry believes are needed to win, but he left without endorsing the ex-congressman.
He said he still thinks he’s the “right man for the job” but that McInnis is preferable to another Ritter term.
During his campaign, Penry talked about rugged individualism and government staying out of people’s lives. He said he wouldn’t get bogged down in social issues such as gay marriage.
Penry said voters are frustrated with what he called a lack of leadership from Democrats and Ritter on major issues, including the state budget, Ritter’s tough new oil and gas regulations, and expanding bureaucracy and state government.
McInnis promised Tuesday to work hard to “restore common sense, fiscal discipline, and economic opportunity to our state.”
Ritter said McInnis still has a primary against Maes, and the race is wide open for other Republican challengers.
“I don’t think he’s the presumptive nominee by any stretch,” Ritter said.
McInnis served in the state Legislature before representing the 3rd District in Congress from 1993 to 2005. The fourth-generation Coloradan was born and raised in Glenwood Springs, where he served as a police officer before earning a law degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.
McInnis drew criticism this year from party regulars when he refused to debate Penry, saying he didn’t want to give Democrats ammunition for the general election. McInnis said the GOP lost to Ritter three years ago because Republicans fought among themselves, and he had no intention of repeating that mistake.
McInnis reported raising nearly $550,000 for his gubernatorial campaign in the latest quarter. Penry collected about $416,000 in the same period. McInnis also topped Ritter, who reported collecting $452,000 in July, August and September. Maes said he raised about $12,000.
Democrats hold a majority in both chambers of Colorado’s statehouse, the governorship, five of seven congressional seats and both U.S. Senate seats. Barack Obama won the state in the 2008 presidential campaign.
