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ROMANOFF FOR GOVERNOR?

Part I of 3: Will Andrew Romanoff Run For Governor?

The pressure on Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff to run for Governor has been intense as some Democrats continue their search for a candidate as alternative to the current frontrunner -- former Denver D.A. Bill Ritter - as well as the eventual Republican nominee, either Congressman Bob Beauprez or former Colorado Technology Secretary Marc Holtzman.

The belief is any well-known Pro-Choice Democrat, such as Romanoff, would win a Primary Election against Ritter, who is Pro-Life. While this is true, that does not mean the person defeating Ritter in a Primary would be stronger than Ritter in the General Election.

And, with three possible ballot issues which will bring out conservative voters in droves, winning any statewide election in 2006 will be even tougher than usual. An initiative structured to bolster the petition process already has qualified for the ballot and two others already are being planned -- one to cut off State aid to illegal immigrants and the other to ban gay marriage. All of these could negatively impact the candidacy of almost any Democratic nominee for Governor -- as well as Democrats seeking other offices.

If Romanoff runs, he will find his already-packed schedule as Speaker to be even more challenging, if not impossible, if he simultaneously runs for a statewide office. He could resign as Speaker to run for office full-time but that would be an extraordinary step to take especially because the Speaker's position can generate so much positive publicity for him as a candidate. It is possible he would end up doing both tasks poorly and even lose the Primary Election as a result. One cannot overestimate the challenge presented by a statewide race in a state the size of Colorado and that is what Romanoff is analyzing today.

NEXT: Romanoff As A Viable Candidate

Aaron Harber hosts "The Aaron Harber Show," seen Fridays at 9:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm on PBS Station KBDI-TV Channel 12. Please go to www.HarberTV.com for more information. Send your comments and topic suggestions for both columns and TV shows to Aaron@HarberTV.com. You also may view programs on a 24/7 basis via the “Broadcast Videos” section of the Website. Many of Aaron's columns also are available on the Website on the page entitled “Aaron’s Opinions.” You often can find them in The Colorado Statesman (www.ColoradoStatesman.com) as well as in The Denver Daily News (www.DenverDailyNews.com).

ROMANOFF FOR GOVERNOR?

Part 2 of 3: Romanoff As A Viable Candidate

Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives Andrew Romanoff is an attractive candidate for Governor or any major office for a number of reasons. He is smart, experienced, young, energetic, humble, and attractive. He is a superb speaker, handles himself well, and is at ease with the Press. He holds one of the most responsible positions in the State and has acquitted himself well. His base in Denver is strong. He is a tireless campaigner and proved that with his successful statewide effort supporting Referenda C & D.

Unlike Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who many believe understandably sees the Governor's office as a lateral move from being Mayor, going from Speaker of the House to Governor would be a major move up for Romanoff. With the argument that Democrats have provided Colorado with the quality leadership it needs since becoming the majority party in the State House and State Senate in 2004, supporters of Romanoff believe he legitimately can take credit for many accomplishments in the State and parlay those into a successful gubernatorial campaign.

At the same time, Congressman Bob Beauprez, considered the likely Republican nominee, will offer a tough battle for any Democratic candidate. He likely would be favored to defeat any Democrat except for Hickenlooper or U.S. Senator Ken Salazar. Marc Holtzman, too, would not be a pushover, especially in a state where Republicans have almost a 200,000 voter registration edge.

Salazar had been expected to run for Governor in 2006 but steered a path to the U.S. Senate in 2004 when Republican Ben Nighthorse Campbell surprisingly decided to not run for reelection. If Salazar ran for Governor today and won the election, he actually would be able to appoint his successor. The problem he faces is he ran for an office with a six-year term in 2004 and it seems terribly premature to run for another office after having served just one year. As a result, Salazar swore off the Governor's race.

Some of Romanoff's own supporters worry that he is too young to run for Governor but, at the age of 39, given his extraordinary experience, this likely would not be an issue. He will be 40 soon anyway so the age barrier will have been broken. Others are concerned his status as a single male would lead to vicious rumors but most voters today no longer are interested in a candidate's sexual orientation. Plus, Romanoff is one of Colorado's most eligible bachelors. These days, being single might even be a plus as it gets certain voting elements even more excited about him. The bottomline is this is a non-issue.

NEXT: It Is Time For The Decision

ROMANOFF FOR GOVERNOR?

Part 3 of 3: It Is Time For The Decision

Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff currently holds a safe seat in the Colorado House of Representatives. His party holds a 35 to 30 lead in the 65-member House today. If Democrats find a way to keep their majority -- which won't be easy -- Romanoff will easily be re-elected as Speaker. With term limits affecting most recent Speakers and all future ones, being Speaker for four years may be an anomaly of modern times Romanoff can't resist.

If Romanoff runs for reelection to the House and wins but his party loses control of the House, his final two years will be far less fun than his time is today. He will go from being one of the most powerful leaders in the State to becoming a minority legislator. Even worse, if he runs for Governor and loses either the Primary or General Election, he will not hold any office.

So, if Romanoff gives up his seat in the House and loses the gubernatorial race, he may be on the outside looking in for longer than he might like. If he wins reelection to the House after having said "No" to the Governor's race, however, he knows there will be other gubernatorial races in 2010, 2014, and 2018 when he is only 44, 48, and 52 years old, respectively -- still young by any political standard.

In the event Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper enters the race, Romanoff probably would not run. That is a primary race he likely would lose and, given the presence of such a high profile candidate as Hickenlooper, there no longer would be pressure on Romanoff to run from certain Democratic activists. Hickenlooper, however, still appears not likely to run. That means the pressure stays on Romanoff.

In the meantime, Romanoff needs to make a decision before the new legislative session starts in early January. The longer he waits, the less likely he will be to run or win. Given the daunting prospect of running a statewide race, some could argue it already is too late to mount a serious campaign. Without guarantees of millions of dollars for campaign advertising, simply the physical task of covering Colorado overwhelms most candidates. And if a candidate fails to visit the entire State, he or she will be criticized severely -- even in the communities that same candidate visited.

So, if Andrew Romanoff wants to be Governor, he will have to enter the race in a matter of days, Expect his decision very soon.