Colorado "One of the Most Compelling Gubernatorial Races"

By Dave

According to The Hill, Colorado has a 'toss-up' gubernatorial race:

Colorado’s transition from a nine-point Bush state in 2000 to a nine-point Obama state in 2008 has been well-documented. But the honeymoon is over, and Gov. Bill Ritter’s (D) 57-40 triumph over Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Colo.) in 2006 is now ancient history. Like so many governors, Ritter has seen his numbers ebb this year. Former Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.), meanwhile, got a huge break when primary opponent Josh Penry dropped out of the race. This state will be a key test of whether Republicans can win back enough Latino voters to start winning again.

We'll see. My sense is that Ritter has done a pretty convincing job of governing as a moderate. He's done a lot for moving the state toward a green energy economy and has governed pretty credibly during a time of real financial hardship. Colorado has a pretty good economy when compared to others across the country, and has pretty low unemployment, all things which may bode well for Ritter in the future. His popularity is fairly low, but this may be because it is just a hard time for any incumbent to run. Also, after years of nasty immigration rhetoric, it's hard for me to imagine that the Republican party can do much to win back the Latino vote in any credible sort of way by 2010.