If anyone was under the illusion the Democrat wins in Colorado last November would propel the state to newfound relevance, we have some bad news for you.
The incoming Biden administration has completely snubbed Colorado at virtually every level, according to the Colorado Sun.
The former vice president snubbed prominent Democrats from Colorado — most notably Sen. Michael Bennet — when it came to picking his cabinet, and his top aides don’t appear to have significant connections to the state, either.
Why it matters: It’s a clear departure from the past two presidents who called on Coloradans to take top positions in their administrations.
The irony of course is Colorado’s increasingly blue tilt has actually surrendered the state’s relevance in Washington.
Case and point: the Trump administration’s decision to move Space Command to Huntsville, Alabama.
This announcement was terrible news for El Paso County as they hoped to win Space Command’s permanent headquarters.
Without Cory Gardner in the U.S. Senate anymore, the outgoing administration obviously felt there was no political incentive to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs.
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who would argue that Gardner wouldn’t have leveraged his tremendous influence in the Senate to prevent Space Command from being relocated under either administration.
Now, Colorado is stuck with the likes of John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet in the U.S. Senate, and a cadre of other irrelevant Democrats left to convince Biden to reverse that decision.
El Paso County is still one of the most conservative areas of Colorado, making it unlikely the Biden administration will be in a rush to change course.
With Hick already taking credit for political wins he had absolutely nothing to do with, it’s obvious local Democrats aren’t exactly optimistic about their ability to influence policy over the next four years.
The only good news is Bennet is up for reelection in 2022.
Let’s hope Colorado voters wise up by then to regain some of our former influence.