Another one bites the dust? The 2020 Democratic presidential field may lose another person.
The New York Times reported that Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has started to consider dropping out of the race to challenge Republican Se. Cory Gardner in 2020.
Four Democrat sources told The Times that Hickenlooper had a drive around Clear Lake, IA, the other night to discuss the possibility with Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennett:
Hickenlooper campaign said Tuesday that the former two-term governor is giving serious consideration to switching to the Senate race but stressed that a final decision has not yet been made. Short of a massive change in political momentum, Mr. Hickenlooper is certain to fail to qualify for the next round of presidential debates in September, an additional blow to a campaign struggling to attract attention and financial contributions.A spokesman for Mr. Hickenlooper, Peter Cunningham, declined to comment on the former governor’s plans or what was discussed during his Friday night drive with Mr. Bennet, who is also running for president. A Bennet aide also declined to comment on their discussion.
If the Democrats win the White House in 2020 they only need to flip three Republican seats to take over the Senate. If Trump wins then they need four seats.
Hickenlooper has publically brushed aside the idea of running for the Senate, but high Democrat officials in Colorado want him to challenge Gardner. Hypothetical polls have shown that Hickenlooper has a chance to come out on top:
The Denver Post on Sunday published polling done on behalf of “a national Democratic group involved in Senate races” that showed Mr. Hickenlooper holding a 51-point lead over two other Democrats in the state’s 2020 Senate race.On Monday, the 314 Action Fund, a super PAC that backs candidates who are scientists, announced a “Draft Hick for Senate” campaign along with a poll it commissioned showing Mr. Hickenlooper leading Senator Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican seeking re-election, by 13 percentage points in a head-to-head matchup.</blockquoteMany senior advisors told Hickenlooper in the spring to end his campaign. If the situation did not get better they would leave.Many have left because Hickenlooper maintains a position in the bottom tier. He spends more than he brings in from fundraisers.
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