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CO-Sen: Suthers Won't Challenge Bennet (or Ritter)

by: James L.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 3:38 PM EST


The sole Republican holding statewide office in Colorado, Attorney General John Suthers, announced today that he won't run against newly-appointed Sen. Michael Bennet -- and he won't take a crack against Gov. Bill Ritter, either:

"I realize the decision I've made will be disappointing to many Republicans and friends and acquaintances of mine that wanted me to run for Governor or for the United States Senate in 2010 and that it may be disappointing to many Democrats who thought I'd be easy prey if I did," he said. "But I hope everyone will understand that such decisions have to be made on the basis of very personal values and beliefs. I must ultimately be directed by my inner compass."

In other good news for Bennet, ex-Rep. Scott McInnis has also told the Denver Post that he won't run for Senate, though he's seriously considering making a run against Ritter. Former US Attorney Troy Eid is now pondering a Senate run, though he would have to be considered a significant downgrade from Suthers.
James L. :: CO-Sen: Suthers Won't Challenge Bennet (or Ritter)
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CO-Sen: Suthers Won't Challenge Bennet (or Ritter) | 31 comments
Primary Opponent
Any likelihood Bennet will draw a primary opponent?  With two relatively young senators, if I were a Democrat in CO who wanted to be a senator, now seems like the time to make a move.
Not many people,
come to mind. John Salazar wants to stay put, Polis just got elected, DeGette has a good deal of power and seniority built up in the house and she has a nice safe house seat, Perlmutter is just a sophmore congressman, and Betsy Markey just got elected to a term. It seems to me that Bennett will likely be challanged by Eid or maybe Mike Coffman if the Republicans get lucky.

But wow what incredibly good news that the two strongest possible candidates, (aside from Gov. Bill Owens who is done with political life anyway and won't run), are now out.  

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

[ Parent ]
Doubtful
For starters, Udall isn't that young (though for the United States Senate, 58 is pretty young.)  The Dems in the House delegation probably won't challenge him for reasons stated in the above comment.  There wasn't as much controversy in this pick as there was in the New York or Illinois appointments, so there's less voter resentment to run on.

26, white male, TX-24, liberal-leaning independent
[ Parent ]
I would assume so...
I don't think many liked the "who is this guy?" nature of the appointment (I didn't).  I would expect Fitzgerald, Romanoff, and, probably Perlmutter, to take a sniff.  Perlmutter would have to be convinced that his seat had a decent enough bench.  Hickenlooper won't challenge his protege.  Alice Madden might want a crack at higher office.  State Sen. President Peter Groff and House Speaker Terrance Carroll are looking at the AG spot, I think.  As for the GOP side of things, that's two big bullets dodged (three, if you count Owens), but State Rep. Cory Gardner, State Sen. Steve Johnson of Fort Collins, and State Sen. Josh Penry of Grand Junction would be formidable.  If I were Penry and wanted to move up in the world, I'd challenge for the 3rd CD, though.

30, male, Democratic, CO-01
[ Parent ]
On the contrary Mr Suthers
You would have been a tough opponent. Thanks for taking a pass.
True
Suthers received a lot of support from Democrats in his first race in 2006, in part for his work on sex crimes against children, and he's by all accounts doing a fairly solid job in the office.

Adams County DA Don Quick has his eyes on the AG seat, so we'll see if he runs against Suthers. That would be a very good race between two quite popular (if rather dull) figures.

[ Parent ]
Whew.
Anyone else considering a challenge we should be worried about?  Bennet could shoot up to Likely Democrat if opponents keep droppping off the radar like this.  
Not really
Bill Owens was a pretty popular governor, but seems to be pretty happy with his private sector role at the moment. John Elway is a non-starter.

There are a few state Senators who could possibly be compelling, but none would have name recognition above 20% (if that). State Sen. Al White is the R's most formidable candidate, IMO, but he's more likely to run for governor. State Rep. Don Marostica could self-fund a race, and he's seen as rather moderate, but I don't see him leaving his current slot on the Joint Budget Committee.

R's might turn to a businessman-type, in fact, I put the odds pretty decent that whomever wins the 2010 race for Senate will have never won election to political office before.

[ Parent ]
Run Bob run
We all want Bob Beauprez to run again. Remember how good his race for governor in 2006 was?

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus
[ Parent ]
Hah, ya that was fun
Then again there were countless GOP recruits in 2006 who turned out to be monumental duds.

Beauprez (CO-Gov)
Nussle (IA-Gov)
Hutchinson (AR-Gov)
Kennedy (MN-Sen)

[ Parent ]
What about Rep. Istook?
A sitting member of the House who lost all but 3 counties in one of the most conservative states in the country, being beaten 67-33 by Gov. Brad Henry.

I don't care who you are, that thar's a trouncing.

[ Parent ]
A bit different
Henry was so popular that nobody was expecting a Republican to beat him.  The other four were running for open seats.  Yeah, it's a trouncing, but the race was pretty much unwinnable.  I do question why in the hell Istook would give up a safe House seat for such a race but the loss was hardly unexpected.

26, white male, TX-24, liberal-leaning independent
[ Parent ]
Completely forgot about him
Not sure why Istook even bothered running.  Guess he was going to retire anyway and went for a longshot campaign.  He didn't seem to even bother running a serious campaign.
[ Parent ]
what about bob schaffer
my understanding is that CO voters are just starting to warm up to him...or the 4th time is the charm...
Schaffer's old news
Schaffer has been a institution in this state and people must be pretty damn tired of him by now.  He could try and regain the 4th CD that he held from 1997 to 2003 (after Allard), but that's about it.  There's no way he's coming back in any statewide way.  Just can't see it.

30, male, Democratic, CO-01
[ Parent ]
Also...
He was a ten year state senator.  So, I'm thinking he's past his prime.

30, male, Democratic, CO-01
[ Parent ]
I'm thinking Tancredo
might run, which would be great for us because it would scare off other major Republicans and it would give Bennett a fairly easy time.  

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus
Tancredo
I don't think Tancredo will run now that Salazar is no longer the Senator.  I think we know why Tancredo was planning on running against Ken and I think that race has lost the luster in Tancredo's eyes.  

Please donate to amcharities.org to help build more after school centers in the Miami area.  

23, Democrat, IA-2

why?
"we know why Tancredo was planning on running against Ken"

Why? Bennett probably shares the same view as him on immigration so what are you talking about.  

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

[ Parent ]
I'm guessing
he meant because Ken's Hispanic.  Never mind that Hispanic families have been in southern Colorado since, like, the 1600s and the Salazars have probably been in this country longer than Tancredo's family (Tancredo's father or grandfather was an Italian immigrant, I think.)

26, white male, TX-24, liberal-leaning independent
[ Parent ]
Yes
That was what I was talking about.  

Please donate to amcharities.org to help build more after school centers in the Miami area.  

23, Democrat, IA-2

[ Parent ]
I don't think he was running
just because Salazar was hispanic, he's not that racist. Salazar's family has been in colorado for like 5 generations and has been living in what is now the southwest for 12 generations.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus
[ Parent ]
You really don't think so?
I sure think he is.  
[ Parent ]
Most of the extreme anti-immigration guys are
Notice how thin their arguments against immigration are.  Distinguishing between "legal" and "illegal" immigrants just points out how stupid the current immigration laws are.

26, white male, TX-24, liberal-leaning independent
[ Parent ]
Tancredo
Tancredo tried to build an entire Presidential campaign on one issue.  Tancredo hired Buchanan's sister to run his campaign.  I don't think most people who voted against the immigration bill were racist, but for Tancredo I will make an exception.  People like Byron Dorgan for example voted against the bill because he made a wage and a jobs argument against the bill as did several people on both sides of the aisle.

I would probably put Steve King in the racist category too, but that may be because I am from Iowa and have to put up with his shenanigans even though I am in Loebsack's district.

Please donate to amcharities.org to help build more after school centers in the Miami area.  

23, Democrat, IA-2

[ Parent ]
No, he is definately one
I've heard King on the radio on right-wing talkshows and he definately came across that way.
[ Parent ]
Other possibilities
http://hotlineoncall.nationalj...

"With Suthers out, knowledgeable sources believe RNC cmteman/ex-state Treas./ex-state Senate Maj. Leader Mark Hillman (R), '06 GOV nominee/ex-Rep. Bob Beauprez (R), and Aurora councilor Ryan Frasier (R), an African-American, are the candidates most likely to take another look at the race."

Frasier
Lost a lot of political capital this year support Amendment 47, Colorado's "Right to Work" (for less) initiative that was expected to pass early in the campaign and then fizzled out to a loss on Election Day.

There's talk that he might not even be able to win re-election to the Aurora City Council, so he may think a statewide bid is worth it. He is very young though (35), so he may wait it out and rehab his image a little bit first.

[ Parent ]
Come on Schaffer
do it do it do it...

either him or Beauprez would be priceless.

Anyways, Gov. Ritter is safe for that matter, if McInnis thinks he can take down the governor he's in for a shock.  He'd be better off running against Bennet, but I guess the prospect of being one of 36 or so Republican senators has lost its luster.

Personally
I like Bennet a lot. From what I've read about him he's extremely smart, hard working and savvy. He comes from a very privileged family but like the Emanuel brothers the Bennet's seem to have gotten where they are by hard work, not wealth.

I think he will end up impressing a lot of people, avoiding a serious primary challenge and winning election in the general fairly easily. I could see him joining the cabinet at some point and hell, maybe even running for President down the road.

Maybe that's overfawning, but there is something impressive about this guy.  

I'm Sure Bennett Is Smart
Too bad he kind of looks like an artificial human/android. I mean those eyebrows are something out of the ordinary (didn't know facial hair could grow like that).  
[ Parent ]
CO-Sen: Suthers Won't Challenge Bennet (or Ritter) | 31 comments

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