Former Colorado Republican congressman Tom Tancredo is the latest to throw his hat into the ring to challenge Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper next year.
Tancredo ran for governor in 2010 on the American Constitution Party ticket. It鈥檚 a move that, according to publisher Jody Hope Strogoff, by some Republicans.
鈥淚 talked to Dick Wadhams the former state chairman who oversaw the whole Republican Party when Tancredo switched parties,鈥� said Strogoff. 鈥淚 asked Wadhams what he thought of another candidacy by Tom Tancredo. He didn鈥檛 want to say anything but he rolled his eyes.鈥�
Tancredo said Hickenlooper鈥檚 handling of the Nathan Dunlap execution case is what convinced him to run. On Wednesday Hickenlooper granted Dunlap an indefinite reprieve from his scheduled August execution.
Colorado Secretary of State and Republican Thursday to run for Governor. Republican . (Ed Note: see update below) Laffey lives in Fort Collins and was a onetime candidate for the U.S. Senate in Rhode Island.
Republican State Senator Greg Brophy is also considering a run.
According the , the following have also filed paper work to run in 2014.
- Jarred Ahrend 鈥� Unaffiliated
- Jim Rundberg 鈥� Republican
- John French 鈥� Unaffiliated
- Matthew Hess 鈥� Libertarian
Update 2:20 p.m. 05/24/2013 - It didn't take long for a shake-up in the candidates. After Tancredo's entrance into the race, previously announced candidate Steve Laffey has bowed out. As:
鈥淎fter Tom鈥檚 entrance into the Governor鈥檚 race (Thursday), I consulted with my wife and close friends,鈥澛燣affey聽said in an emailed statement. 鈥淎fter discussion and prayer I have decided to withdraw from the 2014 governor鈥檚 race.鈥�