Of the three presidential candidates Democrats would prefer to run for the Senate instead, former Governor John Hickenlooper seemed the least likely. After all, he is the one who said “I’m not cut out to be a senator,” and asserted that he would be a “difficult candidate.” Yet, Hickenlooper jumped into the race last week.
While Hickenlooper’s announcement is a coup for Democrats, not everyone has enthusiastically welcomed his candidacy. First, progressive groups aren’t happy, which is not surprising and just another piece of evidence that the state party has moved to the left. Hickenlooper has always been considered just left of center, which makes him less than acceptable to progressives. It hasn’t helped that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsed Hickenlooper via Twitter and fundraising email. Progressives have been vocal about their displeasure with the decision, and the six women primary candidates have released an open letter to the DSCC asking them to rescind the endorsement.
Second, there were already 11 announced primary candidates, including five that are considered competitive and have been raising money for months. So
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