Does Ken Salazar's Rejection of Governor Run Open the Door to Mike Johnston?

Ken Salazar, a former Colorado senator and Secretary of the Interior under President Barack Obama, has revealed that he will not run for governor in 2018. This announcement would seem to be good news for Mike Johnston, a former state senator who is currently the best-known Democrat to have announced his gubernatorial candidacy. But Johnston's response to the development is more about saluting Salazar than celebrating this turn of events.

"Ken Salazar has dedicated his life to protecting Colorado's land, water and people," Johnston says in a statement issued by his campaign. "We will need his counsel, creativity and courage to make the next chapter of Colorado history even more successful than the last."

Johnston struck a similar tone during a January interview with Westword shortly after beginning his current quest. When asked about the possibility of Salazar or Representative Ed Perlmutter deciding to compete for the job, he responded, "I have tremendous respect for those folks, and obviously, when people ask, I tell them, 'I have nothing but kind things to say. They've offered amazing service to the state for a long time.'"

He added: "I think the question for me was more, what is my vision for the state, and where do I think the state should go in the next twenty years? And if I think that vision is different from others', then I ought to share it and build a coalition of folks who believe in it and let the people decide. More and more, I think we're seeing that people want to see competing visions of where they think the state should go, and they want a fresh take on what Colorado is and where it's heading. I think I can provide that and look forward to doing it with whoever else gets in the race — having a thoughtful, respectful conversation about ideas. I respect all of those people. I'd welcome the opportunity to talk about the future of Colorado with any of them."

Read more: http://www.westword.com/news/ken-salazar-not-running-for-2018-colorado-governor-mike-johnston-leads-current-pack-8903711