Romanoff eying Bennet’s Senate seat

Sources close to former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff told The Denver Post this week that the Colorado Democrat plans to announce his campaign against Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) next month.

The news comes as a shock to Democrats, who once believed Romanoff would try to unseat the increasingly unpopular Gov. Bill Ritter (D) in 2010. But party insiders said Friday they have observed the former speaker soliciting strategists and lining up allies, signifying Romanoff is seriously considering a Senate run.

Already, pundits are weighing in on his chances. Wally Stealy, a lobbyist in Colorado who said Romanoff had personally informed him of his Senate bid, told The Denver Post this week: “If I’d have had my choice, I’d have him running against Ritter … But I didn’t get my choice. That doesn’t matter. You don’t always get your choice in politics.”

Public Policy Polling offered their own prediction. Bennet, who replaced Ken Salazar when he left to become Interior secretary, is still polling well in Colorado. While the group has yet to pit Romanoff against Ritter’s appointee, they pegged the incumbent’s disapproval ratings at about 12 percent, perhaps indicating there “isn’t a huge group of voters in his party dying to nominate somebody else.”

Speculation aside, Romanoff’s Senate campaign is sure to face a serious fundraising disadvantage: Bennet has raised more than $2.6 million in the first two quarters of this year, reported the Post. Worse yet, Romanoff likely will not have the support of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which supports Colorado incumbent.

Tags Michael Bennet

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