Decision 2014: In deadlocked race, Hickenlooper, Beauprez make final stops along campaign trail in hopes of victory
After months of crisscrossing the state meeting and talking to voters a long, heated campaign for governor nears its conclusion Monday.
Both candidates believe this race is about the economy.
“We went from 40th to fourth in job creation. we’re now the fastest growing economy in America,” Hickenlooper told KRDO NewsChannel 13. “We went through wildfires, floods, mother nature threw everything but the kitchen sink at us and Colorado never stopped. I think that momentum, we want to keep it.”
“What we’re going to do is get government out of the way,” Beauprez said Monday in Grand Junction. “When I talk to people, what’s holding you back, what’s caused the lack of job growth, they say it government, over regulation specifically.”
Hickenlooper won the governor’s office four years ago by 15 points. But now he’s in the fight of his political life for re-election.
“The biggest thing that happened was the controversy over the gun legislation,” KRDO political analyst and UCCS professor Josh Dunn said. That was the big political crisis for him and the fact that you had two state senators thrown out and recalled was humiliating for the democratic party and governor Hickenlooper.”
A few months ago, Hickenlooper suggested the possibility of clemency for death row inmate Nathan Dunlap if he loses. Now he says he won’t grant clemency under any circumstances
“I would never support clemency if we lose this race, just so we’re clear on that,” Hickenlooper said. “Personally, and we all have our own decisions we make with our own God, I don’t think government should kill people. And I know that’s very unpopular and people disagree, but Nathan Dunlap is going to die in prison. Whether the next governor executes him or he just dies, he’s not going anywhere.”
If elected, Beauprez would re-issue Dunlap’s execution order.
“John says let the next governor deal with it,” Beauprez said. “The next governor is ready to deal with it. Justice will be served. We’ll start the process once again of setting another execution date and Nathan Dunlap will see his sentence carried out.”
Throughout this long battle, both the democrat and republican stand firm, they have no regrets about how they ran their campaigns.
