Hickenlooper leads Colorado primary rival Romanoff by 30 points: poll
The lead comes as Hickenlooper has found himself playing defense against attacks from Republicans over ethics charges, which have also been seized on by Romanoff. The winner of the primary would face Sen. Cory Gardner (R) in November, who’s considered one of the most vulnerable GOP senators.
Hickenlooper also appears to have an enthusiasm edge over Romanoff among their respective supporters. Of the former governor’s backers, 57 percent say they are voting for him enthusiastically and 33 percent are voting with reservations, while 50 percent of Romanoff’s backers are voting for him enthusiastically and 43 percent say they have reservations.
The former governor also has a 36-point lead among self-identified moderates, a 31-point advantage among self-identified liberals and a 19-point edge among those who say they are “very liberal.”
Hickenlooper was cited for contempt earlier this month for initially declining to appear virtually before Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission. He was then fined $2,750 for two violations of a rule barring officials from accepting gifts during his time as governor. He’s also had to backtrack on comments he made about race, including saying at a recent forum that “every life matters,” echoing the common “all lives matter” refrain from the GOP.
Romanoff has used the Republican attacks on ethics charges to argue Hickenlooper could put the must-win Senate race in peril for Democrats.
“Look, John Hickenlooper just wrote the Republicans’ ad against him twice now,” Romanoff said in the debate with Hickenlooper this month. “The truth is that John Hickenlooper represents a threat that we cannot afford.”