Colorado gubernatorial election, 2010

Last updated
Colorado gubernatorial election, 2010
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←  2006 November 2, 2010 2014  →

  HickenlooperCropped.JPG Tom Tancredo, official Congressional photo cropped.jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee John Hickenlooper Tom Tancredo Dan Maes
Party Democratic Constitution Republican
Running mate Joe Garcia Pat Miller Tambor Williams
Popular vote915,436652,376199,792
Percentage51.1%36.4%11.1%
Colorado Governor election results by county, 2010.svg
County Results

Hickenlooper

  30-39%
  40-49%
  50-59%
  60-69%
  70-79%

Tancredo

  30-39%
  40-49%
  50-59%
  60-69%

Maes

  30-39%
Governor before election

Bill Ritter
Democratic

Elected Governor

John Hickenlooper
Democratic

The 2010 Colorado gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of Colorado, who would serve a four-year term that began in January 2011. John Hickenlooper won the race with over 50% of the vote. [1] Incumbent Democratic Governor Bill Ritter announced that he would not run for re-election in 2010. [2] Dan Maes claimed the Republican nomination in the primary with 50.6% of the vote and a 1.3% margin over rival Scott McInnis. In claiming victory, Maes called on Constitution Party candidate and former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo to "stop your campaign tonight." John Hickenlooper was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Governor of Colorado head of state and of government of the U.S. state of Colorado

The Governor of Colorado is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason or impeachment. The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

John Hickenlooper American politician, businessman and the 42nd Governor of Colorado

John Wright Hickenlooper Jr. is an American politician and businessman who served as the 42nd Governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2019. He is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2019, he announced that he is running for President of the United States in 2020.

Democratic Party (United States) political party in the United States

The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. Tracing its heritage back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's Democratic-Republican Party, the modern-day Democratic Party was founded around 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Declined

Bill Ritter American politician

August William Ritter is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 41st Governor of Colorado from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election in 2006, he served as the district attorney for Denver. He was the first native-born Governor of Colorado since 1975, as well as being the first Democratic governor to serve with a Democratic majority in the Colorado General Assembly in 50 years. Ritter did not run for a second term as Colorado Governor in 2010. He was replaced by fellow Democrat John Hickenlooper.

Ken Salazar American politician

Kenneth Lee Salazar is an American politician who served as the 50th United States Secretary of the Interior in the administration of President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously was a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez (R-Florida) were the first Hispanic U.S. Senators since 1977; they were joined by Bob Menendez in 2006. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, he served as Attorney General of Colorado from 1999 to 2005.

United States Secretary of the Interior head of the Department of the Interior in the United States government

The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior in the United States is responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources; it oversees such agencies as the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Park Service. The Secretary also serves on and appoints the private citizens on the National Park Foundation board. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The U.S. Department of the Interior should not be confused with the Ministries of the Interior as used in many other countries. Ministries of the Interior in these other countries correspond primarily to the Department of Homeland Security in the U.S. Cabinet and secondarily to the Department of Justice.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Daniel B. Maes is an American businessman and politician. He was the Republican nominee in the 2010 Colorado gubernatorial election.

Scott McInnis American politician

Stephen Scott Emory McInnis is an American politician and lawyer who was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado from 1993 to 2005. In August 2010, McInnis lost his bid to become Republic nominee for Governor of Colorado after a plagiarism accusation and apology hurt his standing. In November 2014, McInnis was elected a member of the Mesa County Board of County Commissioners—beginning term in office in January 2015.

United States House of Representatives lower house of the United States Congress

The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they comprise the legislature of the United States.

Declined

John Suthers American lawyer

John William Suthers is the current Mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the former Attorney General of Colorado, U.S. Attorney for Colorado and Fourth Judicial District Attorney. He is a member of the Republican Party. Suthers is running for another term as Mayor of Colorado Springs in the 2019 Colorado Springs elections.

The Attorney General of the State of Colorado is the chief legal officer for the state of Colorado and the head of the Colorado Department of Law, a principal department of the Colorado state government. The incumbent Colorado Attorney General is Democrat Phil Weiser, who was elected in November, 2018, to a four-year term that began on January 8, 2019.

Josh Penry American politician

Josh Penry is the former minority leader of the Colorado Senate. Elected in 2006, Penry was the youngest member of the Colorado state Senate. According to The Denver Post, Penry played a leadership role in opposing regulation for the oil and gas industry and a labor bill. Penry has been identified by several newspapers as a "rising star" in Colorado politics. Prior to serving in the state Senate, Penry served in the state House of Representatives for one term.

Pre-primary polling and developments

While a head-to-head polling matchup of McInnis against Maes by Survey USA was not reported for July 2010, the McInnis plagiarism story and the entry of Tom Tancredo into the race led to a changed landscape in advance of the August 10 Republican primary. "When asked who would be the 'strongest Republican gubernatorial candidate,' ... Tancredo easily led the pack of six choices with 29 percent. McInnis followed with 19 percent, and ... Maes, had 13 percent. Another 17 percent ... were not sure", in the Survey USA poll commissioned by the Denver Post and 9News. While Tancredo's run was on the Constitution Party ticket, he spoke as a Republican in responding to the poll results. "Tancredo, originally a McInnis supporter, has said that both Maes and McInnis should 'both eventually drop out' of the race even if it's after one wins the primary. 'Neither can win the general election,' he said. Tancredo said he was 'surprised and flattered' by the poll results. 'I want us as a party to get this governor's seat,' he said. 'If I can do it, believe me, I will.'" [13] Tancredo was delivered a "message, signed by tea party, 9-12 Project and constitutionalist groups, [which] read in part: 'Withdraw your ultimatum, stay in the Republican Party, let the process play out for the governor's race within the rules already set forth, and continue to help us improve this party, its candidates, and the process — in other words to trust and respect the newly awakened, energized and informed voters of Colorado.'" [14] As of late July, both McInnis and Maes had rejected Tancredo's ultimatum that they withdraw before or after the primary. And "political observers — and even state GOP chairman Dick Wadhams — were already predicting [Tancredo]'s entry into the race sounded the death knell for the party's gubernatorial bid and may cause problems for state legislative races. 'It's difficult if not impossible to beat ... Hickenlooper with Tancredo in the race,' said Wadhams, noting that Tancredo will siphon just enough votes away from the GOP nominee to give Hickenlooper a win." [15] Post-primary polling (see below), however, showed growing support for Tancredo with Maes in danger of receiving a vote share in the single digits.

KUSA, virtual and VHF digital channel 9, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Denver, Colorado, United States. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., as part of a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate KTVD. The two stations share studios on East Speer Boulevard in Denver's Speer neighborhood ; KUSA's transmitter is located atop Lookout Mountain, near Golden.

Constitution Party (United States) U.S. political party

The Constitution Party, previously known as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party, is a national political party in the United States. The idea that the principles and intents of the U.S. Constitution remain relevant in human relations was the origin of the 1991 founding. Founding members included 2016 presidential candidate Darrell Castle and former acting Office of Economic Opportunity Director Howard Phillips. The party platform is based on originalist interpretations of the Constitution and shaped by principles it finds set forth in the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, Constitution and the Bible.

9-12 Project organization

The 9-12 Project was a group created by American television and radio personality Glenn Beck. It was launched on the March 13, 2009, episode of Glenn Beck, the eponymous talk show on Fox News Channel. A website was launched to promote the group, and several local 9-12 groups formed soon after in cities throughout the United States.

McInnis vs. Maes

Poll sourceDates administeredDan Maes (R)Scott McInnis (R)
Public Policy Polling August 7–8, 201040%41%
Survey USA August 1, 201043%39%
Survey USA June 15–17, 201029%57%

Results

Republican primary results [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dan Maes196,28350.70
Republican Scott McInnis190,90749.30
Total votes387,253100.00

Libertarian Party

Candidates

Boston Tea Party (political party)

The Boston Tea Party (BTP) was a United States political party named after the event known as the Boston Tea Party of 1773.

Results

Libertarian primary results [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Libertarian Jaimes Brown1,42363.9
Libertarian Dan Sallis80336.1
Total votes2,226100

American Constitution Party

Confirmed

General election

Tom Tancredo supporters Tancredo supporters (5056030500).jpg
Tom Tancredo supporters

Candidates

  • Running mate: Pat Miller, former State Representative
  • Running mate: Ken Wyble
  • Running mate: Heather McKibbin

Polling and predictions

Poll sourceDates administeredJohn Hickenlooper (D)Dan Maes (R)Tom Tancredo (ACP)
Public Policy Polling October 30–31, 201047%8%43%
Rasmussen Reports October 29, 201049%5%42%
Public Policy Polling October 21–23, 201047%5%44%
Magellan Strategies October 22, 201044%9%43%
Rasmussen Reports October 15, 201042%12%38%
Rasmussen Reports October 3, 201043%16%35%
Public Policy Polling September 30-October 2, 201047%13%33%
Survey USA September 28–30, 201046%15%34%
Fox News September 25, 201044%15%34%
CNN/Time September 17–21, 201047%21%29%
Rasmussen Reports September 14, 201046%21%25%
Rasmussen Reports August 29, 201036%24%14%
Ipsos/Reuters August 20–22, 201041%33%16%
45%45%––
Rasmussen Reports August 11, 201043%31%18%
Public Policy Polling August 7–8, 201048%23%22%
50%38%––
Rasmussen Reports August 2, 201042%27%24%
Survey USA July 27–29, 201046%24%24%
50%41%––
Rasmussen Reports July 15, 201046%43%––
Survey USA June 15–17, 201044%45%––
Rasmussen Reports June 14, 201041%41%––

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Cook Political Report Lean D [19] November 1, 2010
Rothenberg D favored [20] October 31, 2010
RealClearPolitics Leans D [21] October 31, 2010
Sabato's Crystal Ball Leans D [22] October 28, 2010
CQ Politics Leans D [23] November 1, 2010
Rasmussen Reports Leans D [24] November 1, 2010

General election results

Colorado gubernatorial election, 2010 [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic John Hickenlooper/Joseph García 915,43651.1%
Constitution Tom Tancredo/Pat Miller 652,37636.4%
Republican Dan Maes/Tambor Williams 199,79211.1%
Libertarian Jaimes Brown/Ken Wyble13,3650.7%
Independent Jason R. Clark8,6010.5%
Independent Paul Fiorino/Heather McKibbin3,4920.2%
Write-in 86<0.1%
Total votes1,793,148100.0%

American Constitution Party gets major party status

A result of Tancredo's ACP candidacy and Maes' political implosion was the party's legal elevation from minor to major party status.

Under state law, the American Constitution Party's vote share in the 2010 gubernatorial election elevated the party from minor to major party status. Any party that earns 10% or more of the votes cast for governor is a "major party." Major party status gives the party a place at or near the top of the ballot in the 2014 gubernatorial election. However, because of the additional organizational, financial, and compliance requirements triggered by major party status, ACP leaders have been ambivalent about the change. [26] [27]

The Colorado Republican Party maintained its major party status, as Maes won 11% of the vote, just 20,000 votes over the threshold. The Constitution Party did not field a candidate in the 2014 election, and thus lost its major party status.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Thomas Gerard Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009 as a Republican. He ran for President of the United States during the 2008 election, and was the Constitution Party's unsuccessful nominee for Governor of Colorado in 2010.

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References

  1. ↑ Moore, John (November 3, 2010). "Hickenlooper wins easily". Denver Post.
  2. ↑ The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/05/us/politics/AP-US-Colorado-Governor.html.Missing or empty |title= (help)[ dead link ]
  3. ↑ Bartels, Lynn (2010-01-12). "Hickenlooper enters governor's race". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  4. ↑ Kraushaar, Josh (2010-01-12). "Hickenlooper in – The Scorecard". Politico.Com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Reid (2008-12-08). "Salazar, Ritter get set for reelection bids". The Hill . Retrieved 2009-01-03.
  6. ↑ Weisman, Jonathan (2010-01-06). "Salazar Won't Run". Politico 44 (blog). Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  7. ↑ Bartels, Lynn (2009-09-16). "Romanoff enters Dem race for U.S. Senate". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  8. 1 2 3 "The 2010 Results Maps". Politico.Com. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  9. ↑ Fender, Jessica (May 21, 2009). "McInnis begins 2010 challenge to Gov. Ritter". The Denver Post . Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  10. ↑ Crummy, Karen E. (2009-01-26). "Suthers won't enter Senate, Gov. races". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  11. ↑ "First Read – CO-GOV: Penry steps aside fearing 527". Firstread.msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  12. ↑ "Tancredo, Owens Throw Support Behind McInnis". CBS4 Denver. 2009-11-23. Archived from the original on 2009-11-25. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  13. ↑ "Poll shows slipping support for GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis", by Karen E. Crummy, The Denver Post, updated 2010-07-17 1:37:13 AM MDT. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Tancredo pulls third-party trigger", by David Caterese, politico.com, 7/26/10 12:01 PM EDT. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
  15. ↑ "Tancredo entering governor's race as third-party candidate, splintering GOP", by Karen E. Crummy, The Denver Post, updated 27 July 2010 05:57:27 AM MDT. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
  16. ↑ "Candidates – Libertarian Party of Colorado". Lpcolorado.org. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  17. ↑ "TRACER – Candidate Detail". Tracer.sos.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  18. ↑ Crummy, Karen E. (2010-07-22). "Tancredo considering third-party or unaffiliated governor's run". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  19. ↑ "Senate". Cook Political Report . Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Senate Ratings". Rothenberg Political Report . Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Battle for the Senate". RealClearPolitics . Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  22. ↑ "2010 Senate Ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball . Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  23. ↑ "Race Ratings Chart: Senate". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Election 2010: Senate Balance Of Power". Rasmussen Reports . Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  25. ↑ "2010 Abstract of Votes Cast" (PDF). Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  26. ↑ Steven K. Paulson, "ACP Not Relishing Role As Colorado Major Party", Associated Press; May 8, 2011.
  27. ↑ Patricia Calhoun, "American Constitution Party faces major headaches as a major Colorado party", Westword Magazine; 3/6/2012.
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