DENVER - July 15, 2009 - The 2010 governor's election is viewed by some as a "Ritter Race," but new candidates for the Republican side are stepping up the plate and making strong headway.
Incumbent Governor Bill Ritter, currently an unopposed Democrat, is running opposite recently announced Republican primary candidates Josh Penry, Scott McInnis, and Dan Maes.
In the past year, Coloradoans changed their voting pattern, voting Democratic for President Barack Obama. Will the same be said for the governor's race?
Health care, unions and the economy - all potential election issues - were among the topics discussed in the July 15 broadcast of KBDI's
Studio 12. Political pundits Eric Sondermann and Lynn Bartels took a look ahead to the much anticipated election. The program is available for online viewing at
www.KBDI.org.
"With this program, since Lynn and Eric are at a lot of events that many people are unable to attend, we get a side of the story that not many others see," Dominic Dezzutti, Director of Production, said.
"Everyone has a different solution for healthcare and this will be a very hard issue for any candidate in the future to solve," said Bartels, reporter for the
Denver Post.
Traditionally, the Republican Party would vote for the next-in-line choice, but is tempted to break the mold this year, said Sondermann. Penry has been very successful in the past with state politics. A reintroduction of McInnis could have votes turning in his favor. Relatively unknown, Maes is the underdog of the race. He makes every effort to make an appearance, but without a political track record, Maes will need all the publicity he can receive.
As for the future, Ritter will have President Barack Obama on his side. If Obama continues to maintain approval ratings of 55 to 60 percent come 2010, the democratic side may have a good election. However, if his rating drops, it could be a nightmare for the democratic side and the Republican Party will have a positive outlook, Sondermann said.
"Whoever wins this thing; I think it's going to be a close and hard fought battle. This is a state that is known for re-electing their candidates," said Sondermann, political analysis.
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About KBDI
KBDI has set itself apart with carriage of an unparalleled amount of local public affairs programming. KBDI "community voice" programming engages viewers in community-based discussions of state, national and global issues. KBDI delivers its flagship station with a strong mix of local, national and international programming (DT 12.1); The Documentary Channel, featuring the works of independent filmmakers (DT 12.2); and MHz Worldview (DT 12.3), a channel providing diverse cultural perspectives for a globally minded audience.
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K D Adams, Public Relations Intern
KBDI-12 (PBS)
Colorado Public Television
Marcia Simmons, Marketing Director
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