9-KUSA - Will GOP Come to Colorado?

Governor Hickenlooper has joined with former GOP Senator Hank Brown to welcome a local effort to attract the 2016 Republican National Convention.

The Democrats’ successful 2008 convention, which nominated Barack Obama, was a huge success for the city and the Democrats. Colorado proved it had the hotel rooms and overall capacity to welcome 50,000 guests for four days. And, local and national Democrats were showcased to the party’s advantage. They swept Colorado in 2008, and that was after the Republicans won most of the previous presidential elections in Colorado since WWII.

The competition for the event will be intense. And, the Republicans’ greatest challenge is not having high-profile statewide officeholders who can lead the charge and direct the massive fundraising effort that must be mounted. But, Colorado being a swing state makes it attractive to Republican strategists, and Senator Bennet will be on the ballot, a nice extra benefit with the state’s nine electoral votes.

Brandon Rittiman interviewed 9News political analyst Floyd Ciruli:

“It is like having a multimillion-dollar 4-day media buy,” Ciruli said. “There’s a bit of a presumption right now that Colorado shifted after the last election, that it is indeed sort of a light blue.”