by C. May
Fort Collins, Colo. – Governor-elect John Hickenlooper walked out onto the stage after the votes came in on Election Day. His wife and son stood near him, as well as his running mate Joe Garcia. After the cheers died down, he thanked his supporters and said that he “accepted the challenge” that his supporters had entrusted him with- to lead the state of Colorado.
“This is not the end of our journey. This is the beginning.” Hickenlooper said to the crowd of supporters. “And it starts with bringing people together.”
Hickenlooper (D), the current mayor of Denver, won the Colorado governor race Tuesday night. He beat contenders Dan Maes and Tom Tancredo with 51 percent of the votes. The victory party and acceptance speech both took place at the Denver Marriott City Center in downtown Denver.
Early in the speech, he thanked Maes and Tancredo and said that he admired them and their supporters.
“Starting tonight,” Hickenlooper said, “we set aside our differences and work together to rebuild hope in our state and get this economy back on track.”
Hickenlooper then talked about his campaign. He thanked his supporters for all their hard work and spoke about his “clean campaign.” Thanks to the commitment of his supporters, he said, there was not one single attack ad in his name. “We made history tonight by showing you can win with a message of what you are for, not who you're against.” he said to the cheering crowd.
He went on to thank the current governor, Bill Ritter, for his hard work and the legacy he is leaving. He spoke highly of the “lasting effect” of Ritter’s plans for expanding health care and improving education.
Hickenlooper spent several minutes thanking everyone who had helped with his campaign. He listed many of his staff by name, said he had the best photographer in the world, and thanked the city staff as well. He then thanked Garcia and his “incredible” family. “No candidate ever had a better family,” he added, hugging his wife.
Hickenlooper spoke of the spirit he saw in Coloradans as he traveled. “What stands out for me is the pioneer spirit -a certain Western pride- that you find in every community and every corner of Colorado. It's a ‘can-do’ way of life. Perseverance. Faith. Optimism.” Coloradans, he said, remain optimistic no matter what.
Small businesses were a big topic for Hickenlooper. He spoke of several business owners he’d met and spoke of his desire to support them. As a business owner himself, Hickenlooper is especially enthusiastic about making Colorado a good state for businesses. He wants to attract businesses to the state and end the recession.
Hickenlooper was very optimistic about his upcoming term as governor. Several times, he mentioned bringing people together as one. “The future is ours.” Hickenlooper ended his speech as people cheered. “We are Colorado and our future begins today.”
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