Report: Denver Mayor to Run for Colorado Governor

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will seek the Democratic nomination for governor, The Denver Post is reporting.

A spokeswoman in the mayor's press office said Hickenlooper will be making an announcement this afternoon, though she wouldn't discuss the Post report.Democrats and Republicans have mentioned Hickenlooper as a top candidate for the race after Gov. Bill Ritter announced almost a week ago that he would halt his re-election bid, citing family concerns. Both Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter opted out of the race.

Former Congressman Scott McInnis is the frontrunner in a GOP primary that also features Evergreen businessman Dan Maes. The McInnis campaign focused heavily on attacking Ritter on jobs, as well as oil and gas regulation. Ritter's exit means a shift in focus and even in appearance: McInnis has shaved his mustache and is sporting a different hairstyle (and color).

The Colorado GOP started taking aim at Hickenlooper last week and continued on Monday, with party Chairman Dick Wadhams labeling the mayor "Hickenritter." But some Republicans are urging their peers not to discount the popular mayor.

Denver elected Hickenlooper, a restaurant owner, in 2003 after a competitive mayoral contest. He was re-elected in 2007, and flirted with a primary run against Ritter in 2004.

Most of Colorado's voters live along the Front Range urban area stretching from Pueblo in the south to Fort Collins in the north. McInnis hails from the Western Slope, an area dependent on oil and gas, as well as agriculture. Unaffiliated voters play a huge role in the state's elections, with about 35 percent of active voters registered Republicans, 34 percent Democrats and 31 percent unaffiliated, according to the Secretary of State's office.