In a move that can't help but fluster Ritter appointee Michael Bennett, former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff will announce his candidacy for United States Senate in a Democrat primary bid on Wednesday.
From a Romanoff release today: "As you may know, I took the first step last week toward a race for the United States Senate by filing with the Federal Election Commission. This Wednesday, Sept. 16, I will make a formal announcement. Please join me at 10 a.m. at the Lake Elizabeth Pavilion at the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo (intersection of Greenwood and Victoria)."
This spells real trouble for the vaguely articulate Bennett whose personal charisma will never be characterized as lightning in a bottle by anyone. Romanoff was a popular Democrat in his party who was passed over for the Senate appointment now occupied by Mr. Bennett as well as the Secretary of State position appointment now jockeyed by Bernie Buescher.
The non-appointment of Romanoff by Governor Ritter is still a matter of some bewilderment on the part of many, including this author, who believe that Romanoff would have been and may perhaps still prove to be a much more effective candidate.
The Romanoff campaign will undoubtedly be buoyed by union interests who are miffed at Ritter for a variety of reasons, mostly revolving around sacrificing their pet projects to his own political expediency. The fact that the result of the Governor's actions were undoubtedly better for the state probably did not dominate his reasoning or their reactionbut nevertheless created a rift. There are
also Democrat legislators who carried the water for some of the bills the Governor would not sign, at some risk to their political futures, and have complained that a little heads up on his part to them might have saved them some embarrassment. They will probably let a bit of their chagrin with the Governor rub off on his unpopular appointment.
