To: Interested Parties
From: M.E. Smith, Campaign Manager
Date: June 16, 2020
Re: With Gardner Losing to Hickenlooper in Polls, Gardner and GOP Launch More Attacks
Every public poll taken since John Hickenlooper entered the race shows he holds a double-digit lead over Senator Cory Gardner – which is why today, Gardner and national Republicans are launching another round of misleading attacks against John. Their tactics to undermine John won’t work: he’s built a broad coalition of support, an enthusiastic grassroots-driven campaign, and record of achieving progressive wins for Colorado. John is well positioned heading into the primary, and also the strongest candidate to defeat Senator Gardner in November.
Hickenlooper: Putting Colorado First
As a former Denver mayor and two-term governor, John has shown he can bring people together and get results. Under John’s leadership:
- Colorado went from 40th in the nation in job creation to the number one economy in the country. John highlighted his economic record in our ad, “We’re Colorado.”
- Democrats and Republicans worked together to expand health care to 500,000 Coloradans and ensured nearly 95% of Colorado’s population got covered.
- In the wake of the Aurora massacre, Colorado adopted a series of gun safety measures, including a large-capacity magazine ban, universal background checks and in-person safety course requirements for concealed-carry licenses.
- Colorado set what would become the national “gold-standard” for methane regulations, passed stricter vehicle emissions standards and began the transition from coal-fired power to wind, solar and battery-power. When the Trump Administration pulled the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, John committed Colorado to landmark climate change agreement.
- And as Republicans across the country take dramatic steps to suppress voting rights, Colorado has already established universal vote by mail thanks to the law John signed. The measure has increased voter turnout by 3.3 %, putting our state’s voting rate among the highest in the nation. John highlighted his work to expand voting rights in our new ad, “Vote.”
John’s record is why Coloradans across the state support his campaign, including former U.S. Senate candidates Trish Zornio, John Walsh and Dan Baer, as well as Senator Michael Bennet, former Secretary Ken Salazar, Congressman Ed Perlmutter, State Senators Senate President Leroy Garcia, Jeff Bridges, Jessie Danielson, Kerry Donovan, Rhonda Fields, Brittany Pettersen, State Representatives Bri Buentello, James Coleman, Julie McCluskie, Dylan Roberts, Tom Sullivan, and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. John earned endorsements from Greater Denver Ministerial Alliance, the Colorado Professional Firefighters, Denver Pipefitters Local 208, Denver Firefighters Local 858, the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, NARAL, End Citizens United, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Everytown, and Giffords PAC.
Finally, having won important statewide elections twice before in 2010 and 2014 – two historically bad years for Democrats – John knows what it takes to win. He’s shattered fundraising records since entering the race, outpacing Senator Gardner in Q4 and Q1, and lapped his primary opponent by nearly 10-to-1. John has contributions from every county and in Q1, 94% of our contributions were under $200, with an average grassroots donation of $24.
Gardner: A Rubber Stamp for Trump, With Him “100%”
Gardner and his Washington special interest allies know they cannot defend his record of standing with President Trump “100%.” He’s voted to eliminate pre-existing conditions protections, confirmed anti–LGBTQ and anti-choice judges to lifetime appointments on our courts, failed to stand up for DREAMers and refused to support Colorado’s landmark public lands measure, the CORE Act.
Senator Gardner promised Coloradans in his last election, “when my party is wrong, I’ll say it” – a pledge he has broken repeatedly:
- Stayed mum, saying, “I don’t get into that game,” when asked about the president’s “botched coronavirus response.”
- Has been silent as the Trump administration undermines protections for the LGBTQ community, including the decision last week to reverse transgender health protections.
- Refuses to oppose the GOP lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, and backed the GOP position that the health care law is unconstitutional.
- Will not support the CORE Act.
- Earned broad condemnation for backing Trump’s sham emergency declaration that raided millions from Colorado’s Peterson Air Force Base
- Spent months refusing to answer basic questions about whether it was wrong for the president to ask a foreign government to investigate a political rival.
Senator Gardner has disappointed Coloradans, as the Denver Post wrote in its editorial rescinding its 2014 endorsement, calling that decision a “mistake.”
By The Numbers:
The polling has shown Hickenlooper’s double-digit lead, and a look beyond the head-to-head is instructive:
- Senator Gardner’s job approval is underwater, with a May Global Strategy Group survey showing his approval at a dismal 37% – lower than Trump in Colorado.
- John’s favorability is above water and he has a more than 2-to-1 advantage with unaffiliated voters, leading Gardner 58% to 28%.
Finally, it’s worth remembering Senator Gardner is facing a wildly different election from 2014, when he won by a small margin in a wave year for Republicans. Six years ago, Republicans held a 52,836 active voter advantage in Colorado, but now they’re looking at a deficit of 47,515 active voters.
In 2018, the Republican candidate for Governor in 2018 got 100,000 more raw votes than Gardner did in 2014 — but still lost by more than 10 points.
BOTTOM LINE: Facing a popular, effective former governor with a record of getting things done, Senator Gardner and his special interests allies are making desperate attacks that Coloradans will see through when they reject Gardner and elect John in November.
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