Hickenlooper makes it official: He’s running for president

DENVER — Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper launched his presidential campaign via a campaign video Monday morning, introducing himself to a national audience and highlighting his accomplishments in business and elected office.

“I’m John Hickenlooper. I’m running for president because we’re facing a crisis that threatens everything we stand for,” Hickenlooper said. “As a skinny kid with Coke bottle glasses and a funny last name, I’ve stood up to my fair share of bullies. Standing tall when it matters is one of the things that really drives me.”

Hickenlooper mentioned his early career as a geologist, eventually getting “laid off in a tough economy.

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“Being out of work changes you,” he said. “You look in the mirror and you start to see a different person.”

Hickenlooper said he one day got a library book on how to write a business plan, leading to the launch of Wynkoop Brewing Co. “in a forgotten corner of Denver.”

He ran through his election as Denver mayor. “We transformed Denver into a national model of what a city could be. Then, during my eight years as governor, we did the hard things families needed.”

He touted expansion of health-care coverage, improvements to the rural economy, the state’s job growth, methane-emissions standards and gun-control measures.

Hickenlooper referenced some of the catastrophes that occurred in Colorado during his tenure, including historic droughts, wildfires, floods and the Aurora movie-theater shootings.

“I promised Colorado families that we would rebuild our communities better than before and that just offering thoughts and prayers would never again be sufficient.

“I’m running for president because we need dreamers in Washington,” Hickenlooper said. “But we also need to get things done. I’ve proven again and again I can bring people together to produce the progressive change Washington has failed to deliver. Join me, and we’ll repair the damage done to our country and be stronger than ever.”

Hickenlooper will kick off his campaign March 7 with a kickoff rally at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver. The rally begins at 5 p.m.