Ritter Brings Campaign To Durango - Feb. 19
Durango Herald
On a swing through Durango on Saturday, Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter explained his positions on abortion, water issues and the environment while soliciting support for the campaign ahead.
He spoke at the La Plata County Courthouse to an audience of a few dozen Democrats.
Ritter's visit to Durango comes on the heels of good news for his campaign. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, announced Feb. 6 he would not run for governor.
Hickenlooper's decision removed a potentially strong primary challenge to Ritter.
Since then, the state party has begun to close ranks around Ritter, a former Denver district attorney. He has received the endorsements of Sen. Ken Salazar, House Speaker Andrew Romanoff and House Majority Leader Alice Madden, who also declined to run for governor.
"You don't take anything for granted," Ritter said in an interview, "but we're at a place where things are going well for us. The primary picture is certainly clearing up."
Ritter's opposition to abortion has been a major issue in the run-up to the primary in a party where most support abortion rights.
"I am opposed to abortion as a matter of conscience," he said, while adding that "it's not part of my agenda to change the law."
He emphasized a platform to reduce unintended pregnancies with comprehensive sex education in schools, funding for Planned Parenthood and supporting availability of emergency contraception.
The Democrats at the Courthouse applauded Ritter's position, perhaps signifying that Democrats will cope with it.
On water issues, Ritter said he would encourage conservation and re-use. He also vowed to provide statewide leadership.
"You need somebody telling that population center on the Front Range that water matters to the Western Slope," he said.
Ritter touched on the controversy surrounding the Village at Wolf Creek, a development that could house as many as 10,000 people along with commercial space and a luxury hotel on Wolf Creek Pass.
Ritter in 2005 joined Hogan & Hartson, the law firm that represents Wolf Creek Ski Area and is trying to stop the development.
"We're on the Durango side of the litigation, not the Texas side," Ritter said.
He sought to reinforce his credibility on the environment, saying that gas drilling must not adversely affect the environment or property owners. Ritter proposed wind farms and biodiesel production as ways to prop up the economy on the Eastern Plains. He also pledged to work with other governors to improve air quality.
"People in government are not using that legitimate power of government to protect the environment," Ritter said.
Ritter was to attend a private fundraiser Saturday night at the Durango home of Mike McLachlan as part of a drive to raise $3.5 million to $4 million from individual donors. Ritter said he expects tax-exempt organizations known as 527s to contribute perhaps twice that.
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