U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., addresses supporters before first lady Michelle Obama speaks during rally for re-election of U.S. Sen. MarkUdall, D-Colo., in Denver on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014. Mrs. Obama will make another stop on Thursday when she appears at a rally for Udall’s campaign in Moby Arena on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Source: AP
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet as a potential vice presidential pick?
Itap an interesting prospect and one floated this week by advisers to Hillary Clinton’s forthcoming 2016 campaign for the White House, .
On face value, it makes political sense. Bennet, who faces re-election in 2016, is a moderate Democrat who holds a seat in a key swing state, where President Barack Obama won twice and the party will need to do well again to keep the White House.
But one teeny-tiny problem those Clinton advisers may not have realized: To appear on the 2016 ballot as a vice presidential candidate in Colorado, Bennet would need to drop his U.S. Senate re-election bid.
According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, a candidate cannot appear on the ballot for more than one office. A spokesman pointed to C.R.S. 1-4-501 in which paragraph 2 says:
(2) No person is eligible to be a candidate for more than one office at one time; except that this subsection (2) does not apply to memberships on different special district boards. This subsection (2) shall not prohibit a candidate or elected official of any political subdivision from being a candidate or member of the board of directors of any special district or districts in which he or she is an eligible elector, unless otherwise prohibited by law.
Not to mention, Bennet is apparently not interested in the vice presidency. “Michael Bennet is running for re-election for the Senate, period,” said Craig Hughes, a Bennet advisor. “His focus will continue to be breaking through the mess in Washington DC to find real, pragmatic solutions to help the people of Colorado.”
Now, none of this is to say Bennet couldn’t still seek or win his party’s nomination for vice president. Letap play out the scenario — even if it is just a political junkie’s fantasy.
It starts here: Democrats will officially nominate their pick when the convention convenes the week of July 25, 2016. If Bennet takes the nod and drops out of the Senate race, the party will name his replacement, given itap too late for any kind of Democratic primary.
The new candidate would launch a campaign to win a U.S. Senate seat in three months — against what is likely tough Republican opposition, buoyed by Cory Gardner’s win in 2014. Bennetap team would have the framework of the campaign established, but it takes a special candidate to start from scratch so late.
What Democrats could pull it off? Well, the first three names that immediately come to mind are all Democrats who have won statewide elections in recent years and are well known to voters: Mark Udall, John Hickenlooper and Ken Salazar.
We’ll leave the rest to imagination. But itap quite a scenario.
*Footnote: The state legislature could change Colorado law to allow Bennet to seek more than one office, as other states are considering for their potential 2016 contenders. But the split legislature may make such a prospect difficult, given Republicans control the state Senate.
