Cynthia Coffman raised a pittance for re-election as Colorado’s attorney general. Now we know why — she plans to run for governor instead.
In an early morning announcement, Coffman joined a crowded Republican primary slate, along with a cramped race overall. Coffman’s entry makes nine Republicans candidates vying for the governor’s mansion. There are still more on the fence, a handful of Democrats and the assorted grab bag of unaffiliated and third-party candidates.
In a statement, Coffman said one of her priorities is managing Colorado’s continued growth, while shoring up rural communities.
“We are proud that the Front Range is growing, but the hardworking Coloradans in our rural and frontier communities cannot be left behind,” the statement said. “I’m running to be governor of all four corners of our diverse state.”
She also promised to work across party lines to address aging infrastructure and improve access to health care.
The most recent entry into the race — before Coffman — was former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, who entered the race after taking Republicans to task over the cancellation of a conference hosted by a white nationalist organization called the VDARE Foundation. Tancredo was scheduled to speak, and had sat on the board of directors for the organization until recently.
Elsewhere on the GOP side of the race, George Brauchler, district attorney for the 18th judicial district, lost a campaign manager. A ship without a captain, coupled with weak fundraising numbers, calls into question Brauchler’s future in the race.
Millionaire former state legislator Victor Mitchell started his campaign on the wrong foot with the state GOP this past summer. He said lawyers were “totally unqualified” to run for governor, a thinly veiled jab at Brauchler.
This is not to suggest that the GOP field is all drama, though. State Treasurer Walker Stapleton is leading the field with promising fundraising gains thanks to super PAC and big donor support. As Democrats swept local races in several states on Election Day, Stapleton was meeting with donors at the home of former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, an early supporter.
Political novice Doug Robinson, a relative of 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has also kept a comparatively low profile. The former investment banker recently won backing from a big money independent expenditure committee called Build Colorado’s Future.
