Since rumors started circulating that former-Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.) would run for president this year, Hart has enjoyed renewed respect among the chattering class. His work on national security has, for example, won broad praise.
However, just when it appeared that Hart would launch a presidential campaign, he announced in May that he would not run for the Dem nomination.
He may have skipped the presidential race, but might Hart be interested in returning to the Senate? The Colorado Democratic Party is apparently trying to find out.
As the AP reported over the weekend, party officials in Colorado and DC are asking Hart to consider challenging incumbent Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a two-term Republican Senator who was initially elected as a Democrat, but changed parties in 1995.
“I’ve had several conversations with [Hart] about it,” said Chris Gates, chairman of the Colorado Democratic Party. “A lot of us in Colorado and Washington would love to see Gary take this race on. He’s listening.”
Is Campbell vulnerable? Maybe. His staff says he’s committed to running for re-election but rumors abound that he’s lost his passion for politics and has his eyes set on being chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee. (Campbell was captain of the 1964 U.S. Olympic judo team.)
In Colorado, Campbell is popular but not unbeatable. Democrats resent him for abandoning the party after the ’94 GOP takeover and Republicans don’t think he’s quite conservative enough.
In fact, in 1998 when Campbell was running for re-election as a Republican for the first time, he had to fend off a primary challenge from a far-right candidate, who ended up getting about a third of the GOP primary vote. A former Air Force Academy professor has hinted that he may launch another primary campaign against Campbell next year.
In June, the Mellman Group, a Democratic polling outfit, conducted a statewide poll for the DSCC. According to the survey, 45% of Coloradoans said they believe Campbell should be re-elected. A combined 41% said they are either open to voting for someone else or they remain undecided. For a two-term incumbent, those aren’t great numbers.
My concerns about Hart’s chances have less to do with his record and more to do with the state itself. Republicans have solidified their hold on Colorado in recent years. Since Bill Clinton won Colorado in 1992, no Democrat has won a statewide race there. Colorado has a Republican governor, two Republican senators, 5 of the 7 members of the House delegation are Republicans, and both chambers of the Colorado State Legislature have Republican majorities.
Hart may be an experienced and brilliant public official, but that may not be enough. Hart still caries some personal baggage (Monkey Business, Donna Rice) and has spent more of his time in DC the last several years than in Colorado.
At this point, Hart hasn’t said either way whether he’s interested in taking on Campbell. If he doesn’t, there are several high-profile Democrats who probably will. Expect Rep. Mark Udall, Denver mayor Wellington Webb, and/or Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar to run for the Dem nomination.