Colorado Democrat John Hickenlooper withstood a challenge from the Left and his own unforced errors to earn the right to take on Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in November.
Hickenlooper, a two-term Colorado governor and ex-Denver mayor, defeated Andrew Romanoff Tuesday to represent his party in one of the fall’s marquee Senate races as Democrats try to seize control of the chamber from the GOP.
But since his launch last September, Hickenlooper’s campaign has been marred by an ethics investigation and racially insensitive comments after George Floyd’s death. The establishment favorite was haunted, too, by his insistence during his short-lived presidential bid that he was “not cut out to be a senator.”
Colorado’s independent ethics commission this month found Hickenlooper, 68, broke the state’s gift ban in 2017 when he accepted private jet and Maserati limousine rides as governor. The body fined him almost $3,000 and held him in contempt for defying a subpoena and not appearing on the first day of his remote hearing.
The past geologist and brewpub owner “tripped” over a Black Lives Matter question by his own admission as well, telling voters “Black Lives Matter means that every life matters.” And he was dragged for comparing politicians to indentured people aboard an “ancient slave ship.”
“We elected officials are the ones that are rowing, and they have nothing but hard, often thankless things to do,” he said in 2014.
He apologized for the remark.
Romanoff, the former Colorado House speaker, supports the “Green New Deal” and “Medicare for all” in contrast to Hickenlooper’s centrist positions. But he failed to capitalize on the opening created by his opponent.
Romanoff, 53, lagged in fundraising and name recognition, not attracting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsements like other liberal primary insurgents. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren even backed her White House rival, despite Hickenlooper criticizing Sanders and her policies during the primary.
But Hickenlooper’s snags still had his fans worried. A pro-Hickenlooper super PAC doled out more than $1 million to lambaste Romanoff’s immigration record last week on Colorado airwaves.
Tuesday’s contest was conducted entirely by mail, with ballots to be received by 7 p.m. MST. Colorado’s held all vote-by-mail elections since 2014.
Republicans are attempting to buttress their narrow 53- to 47-seat Senate majority. Gardner’s being targeted by Democrats as one of the GOP’s two most vulnerable incumbents.
