Posted on 01/28/2004 11:53:19 AM PST by JohnnyZ
WASHINGTON - Former Sen. Gary Hart likely won't run for the Senate this year, the Democratic Party's top Senate recruiter said Tuesday.
"Gary Hart has made it clear he probably won't run," said Sen. Jon Corzine of New Jersey, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
In a brief interview with The Denver Post, Corzine said Hart's reservations boiled down to "economics." He did not offer further specifics. Although Hart is a Denver lawyer who travels all over the world, he is not known to be wealthy.
Corzine's comments confirm what Democratic officials have been saying privately for weeks. It would appear to narrow the field of Democrats seeking to oust incumbent Republican Ben Nighthorse Campbell to two political newcomers, Brad Freedberg and Mike Miles.
But state Democratic chairman Chris Gates said there are other potential candidates in the wings, although he declined to name them.
"There are other possible candidates," Gates said. "Once Gary makes a decision, there will be a window of time where people will make their decision."
Hart, who represented Colorado in the U.S. Senate for two terms after being elected in 1974, declined to comment through a spokeswoman at his law office. But Gates, who has fielded many media inquiries for Hart, emphasized there is no official decision by Hart.
"If he had decided, he certainly would have told me," Gates said.
Hart had told reporters and party officials he would make a decision by mid- January but missed that deadline and has made no public statements since about the race.
Freedberg, a Denver lawyer, said he has known for two weeks that Hart will not run. He said he made the decision to put $40,000 of his own money into the race after "someone close" to Hart called him and said Hart wouldn't run.
"He's out. It's Mike Miles and Brad Freedberg," Freedberg said. "The field is the same as it had been, but the uncertainty has been removed."
Larry E. Johnson of Boulder has also filed to run.
Miles, a Colorado Springs educator, said he thinks it's too late for anyone else to get into the race.
"I expect once Hart makes a decision, the field will be set," Miles said. "There are already a number of Democrats that are upset it's taken this long for the field to be set."
But Gates said it's still possible for another candidate to get in because Campbell's campaign has been lackluster.
"We are currently running against someone who is not raising money, who is not campaigning," Gates said. "He's made it clear he has no appetite for the political process."
Campbell has angrily denied Gates' claims that he might not run, and his spokeswoman, Cinamon Watson, said Tuesday that Campbell is "running strong all over the state."
"It doesn't matter who his opponent is," Watson said. "He's going to campaign on his record of accomplishment."
Is that classic or what?
Plus there is not enough dark hair coloring to make this fool look even 60. Also I don't think he knows how to hate enough.
Denver is an enclave of liberals, and Boulder is often referred to as either "The People's Republic of Boulder" or "Berkley East". But overall, Colorado is conservative. Republicans control both State Houses and Governor Owens is a Republican.
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