Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Hickenlooper unveiled his first television ad Sunday ahead of the June 30 primary election. Hickenlooper, a two-term former Colorado governor and former mayor of Denver is running against former statehouse Speaker Andrew Romanoff.
Ballots for the primary race will be mailed to voters on June 8.
Hickenlooper’s campaign said the ad, “We’re Colorado,” is part of a six-figure ad buy and will run on television stations across Colorado for the next two weeks.
“When I was sworn in as governor, Colorado ranked 40th in the country in job creation. But together we built the number one economy in America,” Hickenlooper said in the 30-second ad. “We did it the Colorado way, from the bottom up, and that’s what Washington needs now. Instead of handing out loans to big corporations, they should be helping small businesses stay in business.”
The ad was filmed outside, on the steps of his home, the same location Hickenlooper used to announce in a short video that he was dropping out of the U.S. presidential race. Hickenlooper’s campaign said during production he wore a mask between different takes and that other staff maintained at least 6 feet of distance and also wore face coverings to comply with local health orders related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Hickenlooper secured a spot on the primary ballot in March. He has led the Democratic field in fundraising and reported raising $4.1 million in the last quarter.
In response to the ad from his primary opponent, Andrew Romanoff referred to Hickenlooper as a "corporate candidate" who opposes a progressive agenda. Romanoff will release a digital ad on Monday that will run on social media as part of a get out the vote effort.
The one-and-a-half-minute video labeled “When We Win” is focused on the future of the country and paints a darker picture of the challenges the U.S faces: "You and I can chart the course, not just of this campaign, but of this country. Join this cause and we can reshape politics and restore public trust, we can turn America itself into what it once what was, and what it can be again."
Both men hope to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in November.
Gardner’s campaign has been airing a television ad since May 15 that features clips from various news outlets about Gardner’s efforts to secure masks and COVID-19 tests from South Korea for Colorado, and his ability to work across the aisle.
Gardner's campaign spokesman Jerrod Dobkin issued a statement responding to Hickenlooper's ad. "After months of cringeworthy videos, embarrassing gaffes, and serious ethics troubles, Hickenlooper is coming off the sideline with nothing more than hot air. Meanwhile, Cory has secured life-saving personal protective equipment, COVID-19 testing kits, and small business loans to help Coloradans through this crisis."
Hickenlooper and Romanoff have held two forums, the most recent one on Saturday covered the topic of racial justice and highlighted some of their policy and philosophical differences.
The two are scheduled to participate in an hour-long televised debate on CBS on June 10, the campaigns said they’re still figuring out the details for future forums and debates.
