In January, we spoke to former state House candidate Ali Hasan, a Republican from Beaver Creek, about his potential bid for state Treasurer. But he's fallen off the political radar in recent months.
When we last saw him, Hasan was fired up about the state’s finances. He showed up for his Face The State video interview armed with spiral notebooks full of research about Colorado fiscal policy, then railed against Democrat Treasurer Cary Kennedy. The feisty former candidate for House District 56 also plugged an ambitious plan for building a monorail to Vail. Hasan sounded nearly ready to announce his bid for Treasurer, but a few months later he has disappeared from the headlines.
We called him up this week to get an update on his plans. "I’m definitely still considering running for Treasurer," Hasan told us. "Based on the numbers we’ve looked at, we feel very confident about the West Slope, Pueblo and even El Paso County. With that kind of base, I think it is enough to win a primary and a general."
The reason for his recent absence from the political scene? His film career. Hasan says he's currently working on a film about the late Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto and also spent time in France at the Cannes Film Festival.
"I’ve already told [GOP state chairman] Dick Wadhams, who’s been incredibly supportive, that I’ll decide about running by the beginning of September," Hasan said. He adds if he doesn't run for political office again next year, he will sometime in the future.
Meanwhile, local businessman Walker Stapleton has thrown his hat in the ring to challenge Kennedy, and financier JJ Ament is also rumored to be entering the race.