Tom Tancredo in 2014 Colorado Governor's race

On Local Issues: Lure RNC to bring the 2016 convention to Denver

Former Congressman Bob Beauprez is expected to appear in Washington, D.C. before the Republican National Committee in an effort to lure the 2016 convention to Denver.

Beauprez lost the 2006 governor's race to Democrat Bill Ritter.

The front-runner in this year's crowded field, former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, said he called Beauprez last week and told him: "You keep telling me all these people are calling you to tell you to get in. Well, count me as one of them. Get in."

Source: Denver Post on 2014 Colorado gubernatorial race Feb 28, 2014

On Immigration: Viva Tancredo: support for legal immigration, in Spanish

Tom Tancredo has launched a campaign to appeal to Spanish-speaking voters in the state. Tancredo's website now features his Viva Tancredo campaign alongside scenic snowy mountains and the open landscape of the American West.

Tancredo, who is well-known for his support of English as the official language of the United States, ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008 and for Colorado governor on the Constitution Party ticket in 2010.

Tancredo's new Spanish-language advertising will emphasize support for legal immigration. The ads will note a broken immigration system that rewards undocumented immigrants instead of law-abiding migrants.

A website video below shows Tancredo telling Wolf Blitzer, "No, I would not advertise in Spanish," during a 2008 president cycle debate. The Viva Tancredo website features a Spanish-language news report on the candidate, in which he wears one of his wryly controversial baseball caps, this time flashing the logo of the U.S. Border Patrol.

Source: The Wire e-zine on 2014 Colorado gubernatorial race Feb 18, 2014

On Education: Tax credits for private school tuition

Tancredo served in Congress for 10 years and ran for president in 2008 to draw attention to his crusade to crack down on illegal immigration. In 2010, he entered the chaotic election for Colorado governor as a member of the American Constitution Party and finished ahead of the Republican candidate, political neophyte Dan Maes.

He supports tax credits for private school tuition and cutting government jobs, and he opposes the gun-control bills Hickenlooper signed last year.

Source: Durango Herald on 2014 Colorado gubernatorial race Jan 4, 2014

On Government Reform: 2001: pledged 3-term limit; 2002: served 4th & 5th term

In May 2001, after he had been elected to a second term, Tancredo was interviewed by The Rocky Mountain News and asked about his pledge to serve no more than three terms. He said: "I have no plans to break the pledge. It's my intent to serve out my three terms if I'm reelected, and that's it."

On September 26, 2002 he told the same newspaper he'd spoken with 15 months earlier that the Lord had intervened to absolve him of his pledge. He said that his actions could be characterized as breaking a pledge, but he explained that whether he would run for a fourth term was going to be decided by God and that by putting it in God's hands he hoped he was doing what God wanted. It took the Lord less than eight months to decide what Tom should do. In April 2002, he (Tom--not the Lord) announced that he was no longer bound by his pledge to serve no more than three terms and he went on to serve a total of five terms.

Source: Huffington Post on 2014 Colorado gubernatorial race Dec 27, 2013

On Principles & Values: Won't debate in GOP primaries; will debate Dems

Tom Tancredo's decision not to debate his Republican primary opponents is the correct one. In 1996 & 2000, I ran in GOP primaries for Montana governor. Like Tancredo, I was a conservative with high statewide name recognition, but not favored by most of the party establishment. I participated in numerous public debates against my more liberal primary election opponents. Our experience confirmed Tancredo's view that primary debates increase acrimony among party activists and make it more difficult for the party to unite for the general election.

We also discovered that primary election debates pose a major downside risk but don't offer much upside. Relatively few people who watch them do so with open minds.

Tancredo has said that if he prevails in the primary, he will debate his Democratic opponent in the general election. That also is the correct decision. General elections engage a much larger electorate, a larger undecided contingent, a wider audience, and greater contrast on the issues.

Source: Denver Post OpEd on 2014 Colorado gubernatorial race Dec 24, 2013

On Gun Control: Running in opposition to new gun control laws

Tancredo said his choice to run against Hickenlooper again was partially to do with the governor's push for new gun control laws. Hickenlooper's popularity has slipped in recent months, arguably due to controversial legislation he signed into law that Democratic lawmakers passed in the statehouse including universal background checks on all firearm sales and transfers and a ban on high capacity magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.

However it's difficult to say with certainty just how much the state's strict new gun control laws play into voters' feelings on Hickenlooper. In early 2013 polling, Colorado voters overwhelmingly favored universal background check legislation and a strong majority supported a ban on high capacity magazines which hold more than 10 rounds.

Source: Huffington Post on 2014 Colorado Governor race Dec 6, 2013

On Principles & Values: Obama is greater threat to our way of life than any enemy

Tancredo, a vocal anti-immigration crusader, made headlines in 2010 when he said that President Barack Obama constitutes a greater threat to the American way of life than any foreign enemy the US has faced. In 2011, after President Obama released his long-form birth certificate, Tancredo said that Obama withheld his birth certificate to make Republicans look foolish. Source: Huffington Post on 2014 Colorado Governor race Dec 6, 2013

The above quotations are from 2014 Colorado Gubernatorial debates and race coverage. Click here for other excerpts from 2014 Colorado Gubernatorial debates and race coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Tom Tancredo. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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Page last updated: Dec 06, 2018