Ritter (Democrat) expected to withdraw from governor's race (Colorado)

Denver Post ^ | 1/5/10 | Staff

[tips up]

Gov. Bill Ritter is planning an 11 a.m. press conference Wednesday at which he is expected to announce that he will withdraw from the race for governor, numerous sources close to Ritter confirmed tonight.

The governor's office made calls to the Colorado Senate president and Speaker of the House to ask about their availability to attend the press conference.

At the same time, Washington, D.C. blogs were reporting that Ritter would drop out of the race for governor.

Repeated calls for comment to Ritter's staff and communications director were not returned tonight. The governor was said to be making calls to other Democrats, informing them of the decision.

Polls have shown that Ritter is trailing Republican and former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis in the race. His departure would clear the way for popular Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter or others to enter the race for governor.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14129079#ixzz0bnZIG6Nb

[tips up]

Another one bites the dust. It sucks to be a Democrat these days...

[ModelBreaker]

It’s sweet to see the Post have to report this. They have been carrying Ritter’s water for the past four years.

[ThunderSleeps]

Good riddance to the ‘rats. It’ll be a cleaner state...

[Doodle]

There is a scandal brewing. Ritter got ICE agent Corey Vorhiss fired for whistle-blowing during Ritter's campaign for Governor. Prior to Ritter's run for governor he had been the Denver District Attorney and had been letting illegal immigrant criminals off the hook by reducing their charges (sometimes serious felony charges) to "agricultural trespass." This allowed them to avoid deportation. Vorhiss blew the whistle.

It's a long story, but Stephany Villafuerte, a member of Ritter's campaign staff and former DA staffer under Ritter, was nominated by Obama (at Ritter's behest) to be the next US Attorney General for Colorado. She had to withdraw after it became apparent she used her influence in the DA's office (after leaving it) to illegally finger Vorhiss.

It's a MAJOR scandal, and Ritter and, more important, Democratic higher-ups and advisors to Obama, know that his days are numbered. So they are throwing him under the bus.