FACE THE STATE
What is “Project New West”? The secretive organization first came to our attention when we saw its director, Jill Hanauer, on a fundraising invitation for Gov. Bill Ritter in May. We had never heard of Hanauer – or her new “progressive” group – before, so we did some research.
According to its vague, one-page Web site, PNW was founded in 2007 and is “a private research and strategy company” based in Denver. Its mission is to “provide subscribers with a roadmap to understand the political, demographic, and issue landscape of the West.” Subscribers to PNW “receive a comprehensive set of tools and strategies which include quantitative and qualitative research, issues analysis, demographic research, and other strategic services to most effectively communicate to those who live and play in the West.”
Sounds a lot like another shadowy political group, the Colorado Democracy Alliance.
Calls to the contact number on the Web site were not returned, but Hanauer did speak to the Democratic Women of Boulder County in February, where she discussed “the results of their recent polling and demographic trend research” undertaken as part of PNW’s effort influence elections around the West.
“Project New West is a private organization, and it’s really trying to dig down and understand who the Western voter is, what their issue priority is and how you talk to them,” Hanauer told the Star-Tribune, an online news source in Wyoming, during a 2007 interview.
PNW blipped on to our radar again with the recent announcement of a “Western Summit” slated for August 12-14 at the Colorado History Museum. The tagline for the event: “A roadmap for the new west for a new decade.” Presented from the newest group on the progressive block.
Speakers include liberal Illuminati like Robert Redford, hotshot politicos like U.S. Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada, Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall of New Mexico, U.S. Reps. Ben R. Luján of New Mexico and Walt Minnick of Idaho, plus Colorado Governor Bill Ritter and New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish.
Interested in attending? Web registration is open now and costs $400, but you must pass muster with PNW gatekeepers, first. According to the summit Web site: “Project New West reserves the right to cancel the registration of any registrant for any reason.”

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters