The Republicans’ bid to reclaim the Senate in 2008 got harder Monday, when Colorado Senator Wayne Allard announced he will make good on a self-imposed term limit of twelve years and not seek reelection.
This is good news for Democrats, who have made recent gains in Colorado, winning the governor’s office, two House districts and a Senate seat in the last four years. Further optimism comes from the presence of two strong potential candidates. From the Rocky Mountain News:
Rep. Mark Udall, of Eldorado Springs, has about $1.3 million in a congressional committee campaign fund that he could transfer to a Senate run, although he says he has not made a final decision.
Another Democrat, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, often is mentioned for statewide races. But he downplayed that talk on Monday, citing the need to continue working on city issues such as homelessness and Denver’s role hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Allard is described by allies as a “work horse” not a “show horse,” with “down-home appeal” and an “affable” nature. He is an “underestimated” politician. Talking about damning with faint praise. I wonder what his critics say about him.
Oh, wait. TIME magazine, April 14, 2006. “The Five Worst Senators. Wayne Allard: The Invisible Man.”
