Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper Announces 2020 Bid

Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper announced his entry into the 2020 presidential race Monday."I'm running for president because we're facing a crisis that threatens everything we stand for," Hickenlooper said in a video message titled that touted his record promoting businesses as well as his experience guiding the state through natural and the 2012 mass shooting in Aurora, Colo."I'm running for president because we need dreamers in Washington but we also need to get things done," he said. "I've proven again and again I can bring people together to produce the progressive change Washington has failed to deliver.""As a skinny kid with Coke-bottle glasses and a funny last name, I've stood up to my fair share of bullies," Hickenlooper added, in a thinly veiled reference to President Trump.Hickenlooper, 67, describes himself as an "extreme moderate" but is socially progressive and has signaled a willingness to work with Republicans. He visited Iowa and New Hampshire before announcing his presidential run and before his last term as governor ended in January.As governor, he signed legislation banning high-capacity gun magazines and requiring universal background checks for firearm transfers in Colorado. He also worked to pass methane-emission regulations and expand Medicaid.The former mayor of Denver, geologist, and founder of the Wynkoop Brewing Company was governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2019. He enters a crowded field of Democratic contenders that already includes six U.S. senators and Washington governor Jay Inslee, among others.