HANOVER — Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on Wednesday cast himself as the sole Democrat capable of winning back rural and swing voters from President Donald Trump.
Speaking to about 40 people at the Hanover Inn, Hickenlooper touted past deals he struck with Republican lawmakers and Colorado mayors on issues such as transportation and taxes.
Listening to opponents and attempting to work with them, he said, is a strategy that will win back voters in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
“I think we have to go into those states with a vision of bringing people together and solving these big challenges at the same time that we’re creating an economy that pulls our entire country together — rural and urban,” Hickenlooper, a former Denver mayor who served as governor from 2011 to 2019, told a crowd of voters and students visiting Dartmouth College as part of its Debate Institute summer program.
Hickenlooper, a geologist by training who later founded a series of brewpubs, also attempted to frame himself as a moderate and distance his policies from those of his progressive opponents.
He supports a public option for health care and said everyone should be able to take insurance plans from job to job. But Hickenlooper stated opposition to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for all” proposal, saying it would be too drastic a change from America’s current health system.
And while he proposes action to reduce carbon emissions, Hickenlooper said natural gas will have to act as a bridge to renewable energy sources.
Students pressed Hickenlooper on those stances but also his continued presidential candidacy. They asked why he isn’t instead challenging U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., in 2020, to help Democrats win control of the Senate.
“You’re not the first person to ask me that question,” Hickenlooper said. He said he prefers governing, saying he’s better at solving problems through team building and consensus finding.
“And I think to a certain extent, as a candidate, I’m the one person who’s actually done what pretty much everyone else is talking about doing,” he said. “That makes me feel that I should continue this effort to become the Democratic (nominee), to win the Democratic nomination for president.”
The former governor is considered popular among Coloradans and held an approval rating around 50% when he left office in January. By comparison, Hickenlooper has less than 1% support nationally, according to a Real Clear Politics average of polls. And not one of the 864 adults surveyed in a CNN 2020 New Hampshire Primary Poll released by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center on Tuesday expressed support for him.
A few minutes later, Hickenlooper was asked how to best address gun violence.
“The first thing we’ve got to do is win the U.S. Senate,” he said, adding Colorado will play an important role. “Let me make you a personal guarantee that we will win Colorado, even if I have to crawl on my hands and knees across the state helping whoever the (Democratic primary) winner is to win that election.”
Hickenlooper went on to talk about his efforts to expand background checks after the 2012 movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., that killed 12 people and injured 70 more. He described watching video of the scene after arriving at the incident, saying that’s why he now advocates nationally for more stringent checks on firearms sales.
“I will remember those graphic images for the rest of my life. I think anybody would,” he said.
Hickenlooper was later questioned about his deal-making abilities, especially in contrast to the efforts of former President Barack Obama.
“Besides being white, what is it about you that makes you think you can succeed when Obama was not able to in terms of working across the aisle?” asked Lyme resident Faith Catlin.
Taken aback, the 67-year-old Hickenlooper called the question “loaded” before telling a story about his time as mayor of Denver.
When he took office in 2003, surrounding communities were at odds with the city because of its rich tax base and water rights, he said. But, Hickenlooper said, he ventured out to those places early on to seek compromise.
“I went out to the suburban mayors and I let them yell at me. And trust me, they hated Denver,” he said.
But those same suburban officials ultimately reached a compromise to build a major light-rail expansion, Hickenlooper said.
While Catlin agreed with Hickenlooper’s stances on health care and climate change, the 69-year-old said there are other candidates better qualified for the presidency.
“I think it’s sort of sad that people are looking for someone who is electable rather than the best candidate,” Catlin said after the event.
However, high school student Elena Abarca said she was impressed by Hickenlooper’s commitment to better treat immigrants and find a comprehensive solution to immigration issues.
“He served our community well for many years,” said Abarca, a 15-year-old Denver native. “As a senator or president, I think he’d be great.”
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.