DENVER DAILY NEWS
Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, once himself a Republican candidate for the 2010 Colorado governor’s race, Sunday endorsed Republican candidate Scott McInnis.
“Experience and new energy are now on the same team, and that’s good news for our state, our party, and the cause of conservative reform and good government that Colorado desperately needs,” Penry said in Grand Junction Sunday. “It’s bad news for Bill Ritter and a Democratic Legislature that has rubber stamped his big tax, big fee, no drill economic agenda.”
Penry went on to say that his endorsement came after weeks of talks with McInnis, other leaders in local government and the state Legislature, as well as with former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo, who also has been considering a run for governor in 2010.
Today McInnis will join Penry, Tancredo, House Minority Leader Mike May and former Gov. Bill Owens to unveil a statement of principles, outlining how they believe the party will improve Colorado.
The event will be held at 10 a.m. at RK Mechanical, Inc., 9300 E. Smith Road.
Meanwhile, Ritter issued a response Sunday.
“I’ve spent the past three years standing up for families and small businesses, leading Colorado on major issues like energy, the economy and health care,” Ritter said in a release. “I’m making tough decisions to keep the state’s budget balanced, to get the economy back on track and create new jobs in every corner of Colorado. Over the next year I’ll continue making my case to the people of Colorado about what kind of future we want for our children and grandchildren.
“We can keep moving forward and making progress building a New Energy Economy, revitalizing our schools and containing skyrocketing health care costs. Or we can go backwards with Congressman McInnis and a 1990s strategy that has nothing new, no specific solutions and only vague, discredited political rhetoric.”
Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters
