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March 24, 2005
Salazar to Run for Colorado Governor?
Newly elected Colorado Senator Ken Salazar declined to rule out a run for Colorado governor in 2006. If he runs and is elected, he would be able to appoint another Democrat to take his place in the Senate.
From the Rocky Mountain News:
U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar jostled the Colorado governor's race from halfway around the world Tuesday, saying he would not rule out a candidacy in 2006. ... "I love what I'm doing as a U.S. senator, and you know I expect that I will continue on as a U.S. senator," said Salazar, who took office less than three months ago."But I also don't want to say never to a possibility that I will change my mind between now and 2006. I love the state of Colorado, and I think there are things I could do as governor in Colorado; but I also am very much enjoying serving the people in the state in my current position."
He quickly added: "I have no immediate plans to run for governor."
With Governor Bill Owens (R) retiring due to term limits, and with new Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate, Colorado is going to be one of the biggest races of 2006. If Salazar has a decent chance, I would like to see him run, because it would allow us to capture the Governorship without risking the Senate seat. Also, Salazar has not been as liberal in the Senate as I had hoped, including voting for Gonzales, and if he became Governor, he could appoint a more liberal replacement. However, there is a significant problem with a Salazar candidacy:
"It would be awkward," Duffy added. "There's a point where you look too ambitious, and that all your moves are very, very political. . . . If you run for governor less than two years later, I think the voters are going to have some questions about what your intentions are."
Either way, this race won't affect our efforts towards a Democratic majority in the Senate, but considerng the recent Democratic surge in the Mountain States, it will be an interesting race to watch.
Posted by Max at March 24, 2005 12:01 AM
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Comments
Oh please! He JUST gets elected to the Senate and wants to run for Governor in the next cycle?
That's incredibly lame. I hope he gets the tar kicked out of him in the press for it.
If he wanted to run for Governor that soon, he should have stayed AG.
Posted by: Cliff at March 24, 2005 10:56 PM