Wiens: Leaving Senate now would help him in 2010 gubernatorial race

Could state Sen. Tom Wiens (R-Castle Rock) decision not to run for re-election this year be a prelude to a 2010 gubernatorial bid?

Maybe, says Wiens.

Wiens told PolitickerCO.com on Thursday that he hasn't decided whether to run for governor in two years - but he added that leaving the senate now would help his chances if he does decide to run.

"I'm not sure that you can be pretty effective running statewide as a sitting senator because it takes all your time and you don't have the ability to talk to the voters, raise money and do the things you need to do," Wiens said.

"But I also know the old saying, 'If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plan,'" Wiens added. "And two years from now is a long time, and you just never know what that might bring."

Former state Sen. John Evans (R) agreed, saying it's "impossible" nowadays for a sitting elected official to run a winning campaign for governor.

"(Gov. Bill) Ritter took two years off and positioned himself to be governor, and he didn't hold office, and I think that's what you have to do nowadays," Evans said. "I think (2006 GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob) Beauprez's big mistake is that he was a congressman before he became a candidate for governor. The result was he lost - big time. It wasn't even close."

But Wiens said his decision to leave the Senate was not based purely on political calculation, but on financial considerations as well. Wiens works in corporate finance and is involved in construction projects, hotels, real estate, a rental car company, and ranching.

"(These business concerns) continue to grow in spite of me being in the legislature, but they would certainly grow much better and be a greater wealth creation for me and my family if I focused on it for the next couple years," Wiens said.

Meanwhile, there's already a list of Republicans interested in taking over Wiens' SD-4 seat.

Wiens said "a bunch of people" have already indicated interest in the job, including Castle Rock Mayor Randy Reed; SD-4 District GOP Chair John Peterson, Colorado State Shooting Association Vice President Dave Gill, and Douglas County Planning Commission member Roger Partridge.

The SD-4 Republican assembly will be held May 30.

Peterson confirmed he would run and said was "very much shocked" when Wiens told him Thursday that he wasn't running for re-election.

Now, Peterson said, "I need to figure out who are the candidates are.

"I'll see what I can do with a four-week campaign," he added.

Russell, Reed, Partridge and Gill did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment Friday.

Charcie Russell, outreach coordinator for U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton), was also talked about as a potential candidate, but she told PolitickerCO Friday she would not enter the race.

While talking with a reporter about the SD-4 race Thursday afternoon, Wiens was handed a three-page list of people who had contacted him that day.

"I'll bet a third of them are from people interested in running," Wiens said.