Nov 7 - Summary of Ritter-O'Brien Newspaper Endorsements

Aspen Daily News (PDF file)
Aspen Times (PDF file)
Aurora Sentinel
Boulder Daily Camera
Boulder Weekly
Colorado Daily
Colorado Springs Independent
Cortez Journal
The Denver Post
Durango Herald
Fort Collins Coloradoan
Glenwood Springs Post Independent (PDF file)
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
Greeley Tribune
Montrose Daily Press
Ouray County Plaindealer
Pueblo Chieftain
Rocky Mountain News
El Semanario
Salida Mountain Mail
Snowmass Village Sun (PDF file)
Telluride Watch (PDF file)
Vail Daily (PDF file)
Wet Mountain Tribune

November 07, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 30 - Greeley Tribune Endorses Bill Ritter

Ritter is our choice to lead Colorado

Ritter is a moderate Democrat who has carefully thought through problems facing Colorado. He follows up in speeches and debates with detail about how to manage the state's budget stress or how to provide affordable health care to all Colorado residents, or how to capitalize on a new energy economy. ... Ritter's principles draw us to him, along with his abilities to reach out to the common people. He's a good communicator who we believe can make bipartisanship work in the governor's office. This state needs a dynamic leader, which we think Ritter will be. Send him to the governor's seat and watch Colorado grow.

Click here to read the entire endorsement from the Greeley Tribune. (PDF file format)

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October 30, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 29 - Pueblo Chieftain Endorses Bill Ritter

Ritter for governor

BILL RITTER has conducted an impressive statewide campaign for governor of Colorado ... Our nod goes to Mr. Ritter as a man committed to tackling all the wide-ranging issues facing our state, regardless of political faction or geographic region. ... We believe he is sincerely committed to extending economic development and opportunity to Southeastern Colorado and throughout the state. ...

At this crucial juncture in history for Southern Colorado's water and future vitality, we recommend the candidate who has staked out a path for the entire state - urban and rural. That's Bill Ritter. He deserves your vote for governor.

Click here to read the entire Pueblo Chieftain endorsement. (PDF file format)

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October 29, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 29 - Happy Halloween !!

October 29, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 27 - Bill Ritter Earns More Endorsements

Fort Collins Coloradoan:

October 27: Ritter's vision for Colorado makes sense

Bill Ritter should be the next governor of Colorado. ... Ritter, a Democrat, was able to communicate his vision for the future of Colorado effectively. ... In a refreshing acknowledgement that a new direction is needed when it comes to resource allocation, Ritter is an advocate of early childhood education programs. He told the editorial board that getting children ready to learn is one of the biggest goals for the state's economic well being. ... Ritter says that immigration is primarily a federal issue, and we agree.

Click here to read the entire Fort Collins Coloradoan endorsement. (PDF file format)

Colorado Springs Independent:

October 12 - Endorsements: Priority races

It is clear that Ritter has emerged as the sophisticated and savvy leader that Colorado deserves.

... few gave him a chance of winning. But the more the people of Colorado saw how hard Ritter worked to understand our state's varied constituencies — whether they live in the Pikes Peak region, in Metro Denver, the Western Slope or the more rural areas of the state — the more people came to realize that this former prosecutor truly listens and learns from what he has heard. ... Colorado needs a sensible, focused, visionary and pragmatic leader. Bill Ritter has proven he's the far better choice.

Click here to read the entire Colorado Springs Independent endorsement of Bill. (PDF file format)

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October 27, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 23 - Recent Western Slope Endorsements: Ouray, Durango, Aspen

Ouray County Plaindealer:

October 13 - Endorsements: the state offices

Governor: Bill Ritter. Solid. Moderate. Independent. Those are words that come to immediate mind when the Democratic hopeful comes under consideration. Though Ritter lacks the traditional resume of a gubernatorial candidate-- some legislative experience or maybe having served as state treasurer -- he has proven himself as an able administrator with a firm grasp of the issues facing Colorado, which he demonstrated in a campaign stop in Ouray County in August. Ritter is far from a knee-jerk Democrat, exemplified by his pro-life stance on abortion. His opponent, Bob Beauprez, has been a party-line voter in Congress, was an opponent of last year's vital Referendum C, and has run a clumsy campaign. And it appears he has taken Ouray County for granted, having not campaigned here to date.

Click here to visit the Ouray County Plaindealer website.

Durango Herald:

October 15 - Bill Ritter: As governor, he can move Colorado forward

...

This November, who can better keep the state moving forward? Bill Ritter.

Ritter's hardscrabble upbringing and years as Denver district attorney have given him a good feel for what it will take to improve the lives of many Coloradans. Ritter has pledged to make strengthening education - including higher education - a priority, along with protecting the environment and improving health-care services, especially for the state's uninsured.

We expect that Ritter's open and moderate style, passion and vision will go a long way in moving diverse groups forward. He is inclusive, a welcome and refreshing quality in today's divided political climate.

Despite his personal and professional Denver roots, Ritter also knows Southwest Colorado. Years ago he spent time in Silverton with his father, a contractor, who was laying a pipeline. More recently, as an attorney for the state after limited-stakes gambling became possible, he helped negotiate the gambling parameters that the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes would apply in their casinos. Some of those meetings took place in Ignacio and Towaoc, and gave Ritter a sense of our region's needs and concerns - and how they differ from those along the Front Range.

...

Bill Ritter has the potential to move Colorado forward. He deserves to be the state's next governor.

Click here to visit the Durango Herald website.

Aspen Daily News:

October 19 - Bill Ritter

Ritter is clearly a cut above ...

... the driving issue for our decision to support Ritter is the difference between the two candidates on immigration.

Ritter ... realizes the issue is not that simple, and we support his pledge for a guest-worker program to help Colorado employers fill their jobs with immigrants.

Throughout the campaign ... Ritter has been a steady force.

It's Ritter's display of poise and calm that Colorado needs. If he sticks to his promises, this state will be better because of him.

Click here to view the entire Aspen Daily News endorsement (PDF file requires the Adobe Acrobat reader.)

Read additional newspaper editorial endorsements of Bill Ritter:

October 25, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 18 - 'Hot Shots' Feature Added to Website

Ritter raises $335K in first half of October

Campaign unveils new video-fundraising program featuring endorsement testimonials from local, national 'Hot Shots'

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter raised $335,000 in campaign contributions during the first half of October, according to a report filed with the Secretary of State’s Office today.

The figure brings his campaign-to-date total to $3.5 million. Ritter ended the Sept. 28 to Oct. 11 filing period with $193,000 cash on hand. His campaign spent $308,000 during the period.

With just 20 days until Election Day, Ritter today also launched a new "Hot Shot" fundraising program featuring video endorsements from local and national dignitaries. The videos will be posted on a new page on Ritter's website and e-mailed to thousands of Coloradans. A new video from a Colorado or national "Hot Shot" will be posted and e-mailed each day.

In addition to telling voters why they are backing Bill, the "Hot Shots" will include an invitation to contribute online. "This campaign is all about looking forward, and this is a creative way for our supporters to generate even more enthusiasm for Bill Ritter," campaign manager Greg Kolomitz said. "We're using the web to promote Bill's vision for Colorado and to invite people to join our efforts."

The program kicks off today with an endorsement and fundraising pitch from former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, who also served in the Clinton Cabinet as secretary of the Transportation and Energy departments.

Fundraising Total: $3.5 million
2006 Totals:
January to March: $465,000
April: $156,000
May: $200,000
June: $360,000
July 1-12: $121,000
July 13-26: $106,000
July 27-Aug. 30: $606,000
Aug. 31-Sept. 13: $197,000
Sept. 14-27: $225,000
Sept. 28-Oct. 11: $335,000

Visit additional coverage on the fundraising:

October 18, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 18 - Bill Releases New TV Ad

October 18, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 13 - Beauprez Campaign Sneaks Look into Federal Database

Information in attack ad only available to law enforcement

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to examine whether Congressman Beauprez broke the law by using a criminal justice database in a television attack ad.

Ritter accused the Congressman of gaining access to a secure national database in violation of state and federal law.

"Your campaign broke the law," Ritter said during a debate taped at Fox 31 News in Denver this afternoon. "It's illegal to have access to that database."

The Congressman said his campaign used an "informant" to gather the information in the ad and would publicly disclose how and from where he obtained the information.

"The Congressman needs to be held accountable for this," Ritter said after the debate. "Breaking the rules for political gain and trying to cover it up might be OK in Washington, but that's not how we do things in Colorado."

Read additional articles and commentary about the Beauprez campaign's access of a restricted Federal database: (Sorted by date, source)

October 15, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 11 - Aurora Daily Sun and Sentinel Endorses Bill

On Wednesday, the Aurora Daily Sun & Sentinel joined an ever-expanding list of newspapers, organizations, and officials to endorse Bill Ritter's campaign:

The Sun Says: Bill Ritter offers right ideas for Colorado

Choosing Colorado's next governor can be difficult when the two top candidates seeking the job are passionate, hard-working, dedicated people who want to see the state flourish and all of its residents prosper.

But picking the next governor is easy when you ponder what you want the state to look like four years from now, and we choose Bill Ritter's vision for Colorado.

Colorado residents face serious problems in the immediate future, chief among them are lackluster public school test scores, unaffordable college tuition rates, unaffordable and deteriorating health care, and clogged, deteriorating roads and inevitable water shortages.

While the state remains one of the best places to live, pressing troubles will quickly change how good a Colorado life is unless the state changes course.

After listening closely to Ritter and Congressman Bob Beauprez spell out what they would do differently, it's clear that Ritter is calling for substantive change and offers ideas that really can make a difference.

Both candidates lament mediocre test scores in public schools across the state, but Ritter understands the need for comprehensive intervention in urban schools where the problem is not the lack of caring teachers and better curricula, but children who lack a strong enough home life to be successful in school.

Making sure these students can keep pace with their more fortunate peers will take money and commitment, which Ritter has made clear he understands.

Ritter and Beauprez both appreciate the increased difficulty families face in getting their children into and through college, but Ritter has made it clear that pushing the price of college out of reach for Coloradans jeopardizes the quality of the state's top schools and endangers the ability to keep and lure businesses.

There's no doubt this issue is a top concern for Ritter.

The candidates offer nearly opposite plans to tame the state's health care crisis. While Beauprez has offered good ideas to help contain costs, simply making the current system more efficient has not stopped spiraling costs in the past, and it won't solve the problem in the future.

Ritter shows real vision here, looking to systems that bring dramatically more people into the pool of the insured, and at the same time seeking regulations that will keep state residents from being taken like they were with recent so-called auto-insurance reform.

Beauprez was keen on watching out for district concerns, including those in Aurora, ensuring that the area's hi-tech and military interests were cared for in Washington.

But his insistence on supporting a failed White House agenda and philosophies that hurt all Americans, such as a ban on stem-cell research funding and his blind support to dangerously re-interpret the Geneva Conventions, raise serious doubts about what a government much closer to home would be like under his control and veto pen.

Ritter has long been a champion of government that operates fairly, compassionately and by focusing on reality.

It's Ritter's state government, navigating by common sense instead of shifting political winds that will help solve the national problem of illegal immigration.

Colorado is desperate for change in how the state is run, and it's clear that Ritter is needed to lead the way.

October 11, 2006 in For the Record | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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