Bad News Day for Democrats

By Dave

Today saw a number of high-profile retirements within the Democratic Party including Sen. Dodd (D-CT), Sen. Dorgan (D-ND). And just recently Colorado's Governor Ritter announced he will not seek re-election. According to The Denver Post, he is stepping down to spend more time with his family. 

This news comes as a shock. Clearly the polling indicated that the race would have been a bruising battle, and it's not a good time to be an incumbent anywhere in this country. But I think Ritter would have had a decent shot at reelection. He's done a great job on the green energy front, has governed consistently as a moderate, and has done a pretty admirable job facing the State's budgetary mess.

This all opens the door for a lot of speculation about who will run in Ritter's place. I've heard Hickenlooper's name thrown about. He's very popular in Denver but I'm not sure how well he can carry the rest of the State. Ken Salazar is also a possibility but Salazar's got a pretty cushy job as head of the Interior. Would want to leave it for a chance at being Governor? If he did, he's well liked in CO and would probably have a decent shot. Andrew Romanoff's name is also being mentioned. I actually think he's a good choice but he's pretty invested in his Senate run.

Any other names come to mind?