After a brief reprieve, former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, is seeing his name pop back up in Colorado's political rumor mill.
After being overlooked by Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat, to fill vacancies as secretary of state and in Colorado's U.S. Senate seat, Romanoff took a job teaching at the University of Colorado Denver's public administration program. Rumors were flying that Romanoff was mulling over a primary challenge against Ritter's eventual Senate pick, Michael Bennet, who began serving in January.
Now, however, political insiders are saying Romanoff has shifted his focus to the governor’s race and is gearing up to challenge the incumbent Ritter in a 2010 primary. Romanoff, adored among his party's faithful, could lock up the Democrat grassroots with ease but would likely have trouble appealing statewide. As a young, single Denverite, he would likely struggle when it comes to demonstrating his family values. Ritter, on the other hand, is already viewed as politically weak because of the way he has mismanaged the state budget and union relations. He appeals to more conservative family types, however, with his pro-life position.
Romanoff did not return requests for comment.