Neguse says Polis should be in mix for Harris VP, while Hick backs Kelly

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Colorado Democrat, speaks at a roundtable about right-to-repair legislation on Friday at a farm in Longmont. He told reporters after the roundtable that Colorado Gov. Jared Polis should be included in conversations as a potential nominee for vice president (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline).

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis should be included in conversations as a potential vice presidential nominee. 

Neguse, of Lafayette, and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado both signaled strong support Friday for Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee after a roundtable in Longmont focused on right-to-repair policy. The Colorado Democrats told reporters they supported President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign and pass the torch. They praised the achievements of his presidency. 

“This is good change, and I think Kamala Harris has already demonstrated that she can ignite a crowd, she can communicate at a very high level,” Hickenlooper said. “She brings a passion and energy to the campaign. You look at her beside Donald Trump, split that screen, and she just kills it.”

Biden endorsed Harris for president, and Democrats in Colorado and across the country have expressed support for her nomination.

While Neguse hesitated to say Harris should select anyone in particular as her running mate, he said he’s excited to have Polis’ name included in those conversations. Polis was included in a Washington Post list of the top 10 contenders.

Polis preceded Neguse, who is running for reelection in November, as the congressman for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from Fort Collins and Boulder up into the mountains to include Vail and most of Eagle County.

“There are a number of really qualified candidates out there. Of course, our governor, Gov. Polis, who has done an incredible and phenomenal job as our governor, and I think is part of that conversation nationally, as he should be,” Neguse said. “He’s my constituent, so very excited about his potential at the national stage. But I trust the vice president’s judgment, and I have no doubt she’s going to put together an all-star team that’s going to make progress for the American people.”

Hickenlooper said he’s biased toward U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona as a vice presidential nominee, as they came into the Senate together and have become “pretty good friends.” 

“He’s as close to a national hero as we’ve got,” Hickenlooper said of Kelly, a former astronaut. “He knows more about national security and the Defense Department budget than anybody I know … You put Mark Kelly together with Kamala Harris, you’re going to have a power ticket.”

Calls for Biden to bow out began after his performance during the first presidential debate on June 27 raised significant concerns among Democrats and others about his abilities.

After the debate, Hickenlooper said 9 out of 10 Colorado constituents felt Biden wouldn’t be the best candidate to take on former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president. Hickenlooper said he expressed concerns about Biden’s ability to take on a second term, but he never directly asked him to step aside and said he “never would even consider going and asking him.” 

Hickenlooper said the Harris campaign is already “firing up” young voters. He said while young people weren’t enthusiastic about reelecting Biden, the campaign dynamic has completely changed with Harris’ expected nomination. 

“Now young people see the future within their grasp, and they want to be part of that,” Hickenlooper said. “I think that’s a huge change in the dynamics of the election not just in Colorado, we’ll see it here for sure, but you look at these swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, young people turning out in droves is going to be a big difference.” 

Neguse said Harris is galvanizing young people in a way the country hasn’t seen since President Barack Obama’s candidacy. 

“I think the vice president has a very compelling vision for the future of the country that you are going to see her articulate over the coming weeks,” Neguse said, “and that stands in stark contrast to the vision that former President Trump has articulated for the country, which is really going backwards, and I think harnessing the division and the chaos and the dysfunction that unfortunately was a mainstay of Washington when he was president.” 

Editor’s note: This story first appeared on Colorado Newsline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and X.