United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020

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The 2020 United States Senate election in Colorado was a Senate election held on November 3, 2020 coinciding with the 2020 U.S. presidential election and other congressional races that year. Cory Gardner, the incumbent Republican officeholder of Colorado's Class II Senate seat, was up for re-election, facing arguably the toughest re-election fight (see below) in the 2020 U.S. Senate elections, as he was moderate Republican serving in a mostly blue state.

The primaries for the election were held on June 30, 2020.[1]

Republican primary

Senator Cory Gardner is running for re-election.

Candidates

Cory Gardner

Cory Gardner, the incumbent Republican senator from Colorado who was elected in the 2014 red wave, was running for re-election. An ardent opponent of Donald Trump in 2016 over leaked tapes,[2] Gardner has somewhat moved towards allying with the president after the latter took office, coming to endorsing Trump's 2020 bid[3] and even showing up at a Trump rally in February 2020 held in Colorado Springs to praise the president over the latter's many great achievements in addition to repudiating the far-left policy proposals of Bernie Sanders and many "progressive" Democrats.[4] However, it's important to note that Gardner has bucked with his party line in vowing to oppose all Trump judicial nominations over then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision to enact a federal crackdown on marijuana despite Colorado's state legalization.[5]

Margot Dupre

Republican Margot Dupre also briefly ran for the Senate seat held by Gardner to contest the latter in the primary.[6] However, she later dropped out.

Results

Gardner won his party's primary uncontested.[7]

Democrat primary

Candidates

Failed presidential candidate John Hickenlooper is running to unseat Sen. Gardner.

John Hickenlooper

John Hickenlooper, a failed 2020 Democrat candidate for president, switched courses in late August 2019 and announced his run to challenge incumbent Sen. Gardner.[8] This was despite previously stating that he would not prefer the position and that it was a job he would not be qualified for.[9][10] It was reported in late 2019 that Hickenlooper was under investigation for violating ethics rules as governor of Colorado.[11] After defying a subpoena,[12] he was fined $2,750 by a states ethics panel,[13] the largest amount ever issued in the commission's history.[14]

Hickenlooper has a history of making bizarre and bigoted comments. As governor, he once made a major blunder in front of many public school children, introducing lieutenant governor Joe Garcia as a "sex star".[15] He also compared himself to a beaten slave,[16] made a racially insensitive comment,[17] exhibited a meltdown when questioned by a young environmental activist,[18] and made a demeaning remark about Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.[19] He has been compared to the cognitively dysfunctional Joe Biden.[20]

Hickenlooper admitted to having once took his mother to see a pornographic movie.[21]

In June 2020, Hickenlooper said that he believed Tara Reade's credible and corroborated allegations of sexual assault against Joseph Robinette Biden “to a large extent”, but asserted that he would still support Biden.[22]

Andrew Romanoff

Andrew Romanoff, the failed Democrat challenger to Michael Bennet in 2010, announced in February 2019 his run for U.S. Senate to challenge Cory Gardner.[23] A progressive, Romanoff is an advocate of the Green New Deal.[24]

Precinct caucus

Romanoff easily defeated Hickenlooper in the Colorado precinct caucuses held in March 2020, garnering 55% of the vote.[25]

Results

Despite his ethics record that would normally elicit calls for disqualification from constituents, Hickenlooper ultimately won the Democrat primary over Romanoff by a large margin; the latter only managed to carry one county.[7]

Key issues

China

It was reported in early October 2020 that Hickenlooper referred to China as a "great nation" deserving of American support.[26] When governor, he directed tech companies into conducting business with the country.[27]

Environment

Environmental issues remain critical to Colorado voters. Sen. Gardner is noted for having spearheaded[28][29] and successfully passed[30] the Great American Outdoors Act, bipartisan[31] legislation to ensure permanent funding for the environment from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The bill was signed by President Trump in early August 2020;[32] hundreds of environmental groups have backed the historic measure.

Hickenlooper has flip-flopped over fracking, once supporting it while currently opposing such.[33][34] Liberals have criticized him over his past positions,[35] denouncing his enviornmental record. Some leftists have referred to him as "Frackenlooper".[36][37][38]

Court packing

See main article: Court packing

Gardner has strenuously voiced opposition to court packing, while Hickenlooper signaled his openness to such[39] while refusing to give a clear position.[40]

Expert analysis

Election ratings sites overall tended to support the notion that the Republican Senate seat held by Gardner would tilt towards flipping blue,[41] as it's important to note that Gardner's odds at keeping his Senate seat in a blue state largely depended on his success in appealing to moderate to liberal voters, particularly anti-Trump conservationists. Since the marginally more moderate Hickenlooper was the Democrat nominee, Gardner was inclined to lose the general election.

General election results

Gardner lost the general election to Hickenlooper, as was reported on Election Night.[42] His communications director tweeted:[43]

It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve ⁦@CoryGardner for the past decade.

See also

References

  1. ↑ United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020 - Ballotpedia
  2. ↑ Cory Gardner calls for Donald Trump to step aside; won’t vote for him
  3. ↑ Cory Gardner Endorses Trump in 2020
  4. ↑ RAW | Sen. Cory Gardner speaks at Colorado Springs rally with Pres. Trump
  5. ↑ With Colorado in mind, Gardner stands up to Trump
  6. ↑ Coronavirus keeps some U.S. Senate candidates off the ballot, they say
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Colorado U.S. Senate Primary Election Results
  8. ↑ Two references:
  9. ↑ NRSC Mocks Hickenlooper for Now Running for Job He Said He Couldn't Do
  10. ↑ Delight
  11. ↑ Multiple references:
  12. ↑ John Hickenlooper defies subpoena to appear for virtual hearing on ethics complaint
  13. ↑ Hickenlooper fined $2,750 by state ethics panel for violating gifts rule as governor
  14. ↑ Colorado IEC Gives Hickenlooper Highest Fine in Commission's History for Ethics Violations
  15. ↑ Two references:
  16. ↑ Multiple references:
  17. ↑ NRSC Condemns Hickenlooper for 'Racially Insensitive' Comment About Black Pastors
  18. ↑ Ok, Boomer: Hickenlooper Gets Angry With Young Constituent
  19. ↑ CO Sen: Hickenlooper Makes Demeaning Comment About Sen. Sinema After Forgetting Her Name
  20. ↑ https://twitter.com/Diana4Colorado/status/1167889929109528578
  21. ↑ Multiple references:
  22. ↑ John Hickenlooper: I believe Tara Reade, but 'I still support Joe Biden'
  23. ↑ Two references:
  24. ↑ Combat the Climate Crisis - Andrew Romanoff for Senate
  25. ↑ Green New Deal advocate claims win over Hickenlooper in Colorado caucuses
  26. ↑ Two references:
  27. ↑ As Governor, Hickenlooper Directed Grants to Tech Companies Doing Business in China
  28. ↑ S.3422 - Great American Outdoors Act
  29. ↑ Truth Check: Sen. Gardner’s Great American Outdoors Act ad
  30. ↑ Great American Outdoors Act heads to Trump as Cory Gardner leans on measure in reelection bid
  31. ↑ Cory Gardner's Great American Outdoors Act gets bipartisan OK as election bid ramps up
  32. ↑ Two references:
  33. ↑ Hickenlooper’s conflicting record, rhetoric on fracking a point of dispute in Senate race
  34. ↑ Hickenlooper opposes fracking in Colorado, despite past support for controversial practice
  35. ↑ Two references:
  36. ↑ Is John Hickenlooper the Fracking Candidate?
  37. ↑ Andrew Romanoff For U.S. Senate
  38. ↑ Stop Frackenlooper
  39. ↑ Watch: Hickenlooper Signals Support For Court Packing if Senate Confirms Judge Barrett
  40. ↑ After Senate Confirmed Justice Barrett, Hickenlooper Still Will Not Give a Firm Stance on Court Packing
  41. ↑ Multiple references:
  42. ↑ Two references:
  43. ↑ https://twitter.com/tankcat/status/1323819285911904261
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