2020 Presidential Campaign Blog

Presidential Candidates to Headline Ankeny Area Democrats Annual BBQ on Saturday, July 13, 2019 *Updated

Presidential Candidates to Headline Ankeny Area Democrats Annual BBQ on Saturday, July 13, 2019 *Updated

On July 13, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, California Congressman Eric Swalwell, John Hickenlooper, Bill de Blasio, and John Delaney, along with many local elected officials, will speak at the Ankeny Area Democrats Annual SummerFest BBQ. Additional speakers are expected to attend the event, as invitations to other presidential candidates are still pending.

Ankeny, one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., is expected to play a key role in the 2020 elections. “Ankeny is exactly the kind of suburb Democrats need to win to be successful in 2020,” said Andrea Phillips, Ankeny resident and Vice Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. “People think of Ankeny as being conservative, but it’s trending Democratic. In 2018, Democrat Heather Matson flipped House District 38.”

For over 15 years, the Ankeny Area Democrats have held their annual BBQ and Fundraiser, attracting elected officials and activists from across the metro. “We’re incredibly excited to have these prominent Presidential Candidates join us,” said Mary McAdams, Chair of the Ankeny Area Democrats.

Tickets to the event are $10 and are available at ​www.AnkenyAreaDemocrats.org​. Kids 12 and under eat free. The BBQ will be held at the AMP, located at 715 W. 1st Street, Ankeny, IA.

John Hickenlooper Returns to South Carolina June 21-23, 2019 *Updated

John Hickenlooper Returns to South Carolina June 21-23, 2019 *Updated

COLUMBIA, SC — Former Colorado governor and Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper will return to South Carolina from Friday, June 21 to Sunday, June 23. The full schedule follows.

FRIDAY, JUNE 21

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Speak at Young Democrats of South Carolina Welcome Reception
WHEN: Friday, June 21 at 6:45 PM EST
WHERE: World of Beer, 902 Gervais St Ste F, Columbia, SC

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Attend Blue Palmetto Dinner Hosted by South Carolina Democratic Party
WHEN: Friday, June 21 at 7:30 PM EST
WHERE: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, 1101 Lincoln St., Columbia, SC

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Attend Congressman Clyburn's World-Famous Fish Fry
WHEN: Friday, June 21 at 9 PM EST

SATURDAY, JUNE 22

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Attend Men's Health Breakfast & Health Screening
WHEN: Saturday, June 22 at 9 AM EST
WHERE: Brookland Baptist Church: 1066 Sunset Blvd, West Columbia, SC

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Host Roundtable Discussion with Gun Reform Advocates
WHEN: Saturday, June 22 at 10 AM EST
WHERE: Cafe Strudel: 300 State St., West Columbia, SC WHERE: Brookland Baptist Church: 1066 Sunset Blvd, West Columbia, SC 

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Speak at Planned Parenthood Forum
WHEN: Saturday, June 22 — event begins at 11:30 AM EST, remarks at 11:50 AM EST

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Speak at South Carolina Democratic State Convention
WHEN: Saturday, June 22 — event begins at 2:30 PM EST, remarks at 2:59 PM EST
WHERE: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln St, Columbia, SC

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Host Meet and Greet for South Carolina Voters
WHEN: Saturday, June 22 at 4:30 PM EST
WHERE: Hunter-Gatherer Brewery, 900 Main Street, Columbia, SC

https://www.mobilize.us/hickenlooper2020/event/96463/

SUNDAY, JUNE 23

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Speak at Brookland Baptist Church
WHEN: Sunday, June 23 at 11 AM EST
WHERE: Brookland Baptist Church: 1066 Sunset Blvd, West Columbia, SC

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Meet with Congregants During Brookland Baptist Church Brunch
WHEN: Sunday, June 23 at 1 PM EST
WHERE: Brookland Baptist Church: 1066 Sunset Blvd, West Columbia, SC

Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame Photos, Elizabeth Warren, John Hickenlooper, Amy Klobuchar, June 9, 2019, Cedar Rapids Part 5 of 6 #IAcaucus

John Hickenlooper Full Remarks at the Iowa Hall of Fame Dinner

REMARKS: HICKENLOOPER SPEAKS TO IOWA HALL OF FAME DINNER

"Pragmatists don't say no, they figure out how to get big things done"

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Today, Governor Hickenlooper will deliver remarks at the Iowa Hall of Fame Dinner. The former Colorado governor and Democratic presidential candidate will echo his remarks from the California Democratic Party Convention that Democrats must embrace progressive pragmatism if they want to defeat Donald Trump and achieve big progressive goals. Excerpts from the speech follow.

"Donald Trump is the worst President our country has ever had. But, defeating him is far from guaranteed. We have to take the right approach. We must be progressive, but also pragmatic. We need a dreamer, but also a doer. We must present a bold vision for the future, but we also must acknowledge that the most effective charge Republicans can level against us is 'socialism.'"

"Now, that does not mean that Democrats should shy away from big progressive goals. Far from it. A pragmatist doesn’t say no to big ideas, they figure out how to get them done. I know this because it’s what we did in Colorado. Today, Colorado has near universal health care. All 64 counties have access to reliable broadband service. We’ve had the number one economy in the country for three consecutive years."

Full remarks follow. Remarks are as prepared.

Hello, Iowa Democrats!

Thank you so much for having me.

I would like to acknowledge Fred and Charlotte Hubbell, and all those receiving awards tonight.

You all do the hard work – knocking on doors in the snow and the heat, phone banking late at night.

It is difficult, and often thankless work, but it is essential work.

You all are on the front lines of the resistance. You protect our democracy.

President Trump reminds us every day that our democracy is something we neglect at our own peril.

We now live in a country where children are taken from their mothers and put in cages.

A woman’s right to control her own body is under constant assault.

The sick and the elderly have to chose between paying their medical bill, or paying their utility bill.

Donald Trump is the worst President our country has ever had.

But, defeating him is far from guaranteed.

We have to take the right approach.

We must be progressive, but also pragmatic.

We need a dreamer, but also a doer.

We must present a bold vision for the future, but we also must acknowledge that the most effective charge Republicans can level against us is “socialism.”

Now, that does not mean that Democrats should shy away from big progressive goals.

Far from it.

A pragmatist doesn’t say no to big ideas, they figure out how to get them done.

I know this because it’s what we did in Colorado.

Today, Colorado has near universal health care.

All 64 counties have access to reliable broadband service.

We’ve had the number one economy in the country for three consecutive years.

We were the first state to compel the oil and gas industry to eliminate methane emissions.

We beat the NRA and became the first purple state to pass universal background checks and magazine limits!

When other states were limiting reproductive rights, we provided long-acting reversible contraception to any woman who wanted it. And we cut abortion and unintended pregnancy among young women by almost two-thirds!

I am the only person running who has actually done what everyone else is talking about.

So I can tell you, you don’t do big things with Big Government.

You do big things by bringing everyone to the table --- by making the table bigger.

When I am President, we will make affordable healthcare a right, not a privilege.

We will do it by creating a public option – so the more than 100 million Americans who like their insurance can keep it, and the millions who do not will have another choice.

When I am President, we will unite the world to save our planet.

America will not only rejoin the Paris Accord - but we will exceed its goals!

We will work with private industry and non-profits to do the massive research and development that we will need to effectively, and quickly address our climate crisis.

When I am President, every American will have the opportunity to create their version of the American Dream.

We will make college more affordable, and we will also provide a path for the 65 percent of Americans who won’t get a four-year college degree.

I will work with unions and businesses to do the biggest expansion of apprenticeships in our country’s history. One million apprenticeships a year!

I am proud to be part of a political party that over decades has rallied to the call of so many dreams and dreamers.

I am proud to be in the party that not only dared to dream big dreams but had the persistence to get them done - from creating Social Security and Medicare to putting a man on the moon.

I am a dreamer and a do-er.

And we need both to make real progress.

Not just big ideas but making them happen -- finding common ground when it sometimes seems like there’s nothing there but mountains between us.

That’s my record.

And that will be my promise as President.

Thank you.

John Hickenlooper Photos, Cabin Coffee, Mason City, Iowa, June 8, 2019

John Hickenlooper Releases His Plan for Rural America

John Hickenlooper Releases His Plan for Rural America

DENVER, CO - Today, former Colorado governor and Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper released "A Plan for Rural America." The plan includes policies to increase access to healthcare, support our country's agriculture industry, and strengthen all rural economic development. Most notably, Hickenlooper would make the largest investment in rural broadband in our nation's history, and he would ban advertising of addictive painkillers to help combat the opioid crisis that has devastated so many rural communities. The Governor would also expand nationally Colorado's Rural Jump-Start program by creating 'Entrepreneurial Opportunity Zones,' which will provide incentives for entrepreneurs and workers in rural and distressed areas to start new business or expand their existing ones. (full plan here).

"When I ran for Governor, I promised to bring all of Colorado back from the recession - not just the urban areas but our rural communities too - and I became the first Denver mayor to be elected governor in over 100 years," said Hickenlooper. "Today, Colorado's 64 counties all have broadband access. We saved over a dozen rural hospitals from closure. We brought the state together to create a sustainable water plan. Two-thirds of Colorado’s rural counties rank in the top quarter for employment growth of all rural US counties, and nearly 83% of Colorado rural counties rank in the top half."

"As President, I will ensure federal resources support the economic, community and workforce development strategies of each rural community. We need to build on each area's distinctive assets and address challenges at the local level rather than impose one-size-fits-all strategies."

Hickenlooper first discussed his plan with Iowa's Lee News, which owns the Cedar Rapids Gazette and newspapers in Davenport, Waterloo, Sioux City, Mason City, Muscatine, Fairfield, Mount Pleasant and Washington. The Governor stated the he believes the Trump administration's tariff war may be "hurting us to another farm crisis" and proposed a trade policy that " will ensure more growth, opportunity, and fairness for the American people." (full article)

Hickenlooper's 'Plan for Rural America' would:

1. Make the Largest Investment in Rural Broadband in Recent History: As President, Hickenlooper will fund $20 billion dollars to expand broadband access across the country. This would include $10 billion dollars specifically for the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service fund to directly deploy broadband access.
2. Increase Access to Capital, Business Development Resources: Governor Hickenlooper would increase the capacity of rural banks to make loans by raising the federal loan guarantee to 90% of the loan value, while also working to decrease the red tape for lenders. In a Hickenlooper Administration, the Rural Development program will also have expanded capacity to deploy staff “on the ground," providing guidance on grant and loan applications, helping build public-private partnerships, and cutting through red tape so communities get what they need and how they work.
3. Strengthen Rural Workforce Development and Talent Attraction: Hickenlooper is passionate about serving the two-thirds of Americans who won’t obtain a four-year college degree.The numbers are even starker in our rural communities, where only 1 in 5 adults is a college graduate. President Hickenlooper will make community college free for all Americans who can’t afford it, and he will scale Colorado’s successful CareerWise program, which offers high school students the opportunity to apprentice with all types of businesses, from banking to manufacturing, while earning college credit (at no cost to the students) and a paycheck (earning thousands of dollars in wages by the time students graduate)
4. Create Entrepreneurial Opportunity Zones: Based on the Colorado Rural Jump-Start program, Hickenlooper has proposed a new national program of Entrepreneurial Opportunity Zones, which will provide incentives for entrepreneurs and workers in rural and distressed areas by providing tax relief to new businesses and new hires of these businesses.
5. Expand Workforce, Talent Attraction Efforts: In conjunction with his plan to cut student loan rates on all federal loans to 2.5%,Hickenlooper will establish a coordinated program of student loan forgiveness initiatives that build on existing programs, to require 2-5 years of full-time work in communities of high-need working in high-impact fields like healthcare, teaching and legal work.
6. Create Collaborative Community Hubs: As part of Hickenlooper’s Infrastructure Plan to enhance our communities and bring green jobs, he will support the construction and development of community buildings in our small towns - recognizing that having a community hub is so vital for our small towns
7. End the Tariff War: Unlike President Trump, and even some Democrats, Governor Hickenlooper supports free and fair trade, and would seek multilateral trade agreements that are so vital to the health of our nation's farmers.
8. Combat the Opioid Crisis with New National Programs: Hickenlooper would create a grant program for training of first responders to deal with overdoses and to provide them with the lifesaving drug Naloxone. He would also create a national prescription drug buyback and disposal program, ban advertising of addictive opioid painkillers and require Medicaid and insurers to cover rehabilitation services, among other measures.

2019 California Democratic Convention Photos, Moscone Center, San Francisco, June 1, 2019, Session Two #CADEM19

John Hickenlooper Returns to Iowa on June 7-10, 2019 *Updated

Hickenlooper Returns to Iowa: Unveils Policy Plan for Rural Iowa, Speaks at Hall of Fame celebration *Updated
Hickenlooper will hold events across Iowa and unveil his rural Iowa policy platform before speaking at the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual celebration

DES MOINES, IA – Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper will return to Iowa for a series of events across the state ahead of the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual Hall of Fame Celebration. Hickenlooper will share his policy plans for rural Iowa at an event with First District Democrats in Cresco, and he will also visit with caucus-goers in Des Moines, Ankeny, Boone, Mason City, and Cedar Rapids. Additional events will be announced in the coming days.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7TH

WHAT: Hickenlooper tours The Foundry in Valley Junction prior to the development’s grand opening
WHERE: The Foundry, 111 S. 11th St., West Des Moines, IA
WHEN: Friday, June 7, 2:30 PM

WHAT: Hickenlooper participates in gun safety Q&A livestream with Amber Gustafson
WHERE: Ankeny, IA (Exact location provided upon RSVP)
WHEN: Friday, June 7, 4:00 PM

WHAT: Hickenlooper Meet and Greet with Boone County Democrats
WHERE: The Livery Deli, 806 7th St, Boone, IA
WHEN: Friday, June 7, 6:00 PM

SATURDAY, JUNE 8TH

WHAT: Hickenlooper attends Des Moines’ Downtown Farmers’ Market
WHERE: Downtown Des Moines, 400 Court Ave, Des Moines, IA
WHEN: Saturday, June 8, 9:30 AM

WHAT: Hickenlooper attends Iowa Safe Schools Pride Tailgate and Capital City Pride Festival
WHERE: Des Moines’ East Village
WHEN: Saturday, June 8, 10:30 AM

WHAT: Hickenlooper Meet and Greet with Cerro Gordo County Democrats
WHERE: Cabin Coffee, 1304 4th Street SE, Mason City, IA 
WHEN: Saturday, June 8, 2:00 PM

WHAT: Hickenlooper attends First District Democrats’ Passport to Victory Event, Discusses Rural Iowa Policy Plan
WHERE: McAllister Catering and Heritage Event Center, 229 3rd Ave West, Cresco, IA
WHEN: Saturday, June 8, 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Exact speaking time TBD)

SUNDAY, JUNE 9TH

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Host Meet and Greet at Local Brewery
WHERE: The Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery: 616 2nd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA
WHEN: Sunday, June 9, 12:00-1:00 PM

WHAT: Hickenlooper attends Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame Celebration
WHERE: DoubleTree Hilton: 350 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA
WHEN: Sunday, June 9, Program Begins 2:00 PM

MONDAY, JUNE 10TH

WHAT: Hickenlooper to Tour Five Rivers Carpenters JATC
WHERE: 350 Waconia Ct. SW, Cedar Rapids
WHEN: Monday, June 10, 11:00 AM

John Hickenlooper to California Dems: "Socialism is Not the Answer"

John Hickenlooper to California Dems: "Socialism is Not the Answer"

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Today, at 2:45 PT, Governor John Hickenlooper will join other Democratic presidential candidates in addressing the California Democratic Party Convention. In his remarks, the Governor will urge Democrats to distance themselves from socialism, expanding on comments he made earlier this week on NPR's Morning Edition (full interview) and to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow (full interview). 

Hickenlooper will specifically make the argument that not only is pragmatic progressivism necessary to defeat Donald Trump, but it is also the only way to bring about real progressive change.  

"....if we want to beat Donald Trump and achieve big progressive goals, socialism is not the answer. I was reelected in a purple state in 2014 – one of the worst years for Democrats in a quarter of a century. I was one of only two Democrats to win a swing state that year. And, as Governor, I worked with non-profits and business.  With Democrats and Republicans.  And, we achieved big progressive results! Today, Colorado has near universal health care. We have the number one economy in the country for three consecutive years. We will be the first state with broadband in every city and town. We were the first purple state to beat the NRA with universal background checks and magazine limits. We were the first state to force the oil and gas industry to stop methane emissions. We made Denver one of the first cities in the nation to have universal pre-k."

The Governor will also outline his pragmatic, progressive vision for the country . 

"Now, being a pragmatist doesn’t mean saying ‘no’ to bold ideas; it means knowing how to make them happen. We shouldn’t try to achieve universal coverage by removing private insurance from over a hundred million Americans. We shouldn’t try to tackle climate change by guaranteeing every American a government job. But we as the Democratic Party do have to present a vision. I want to give Americans a reason to look forward to tomorrow. As President, I will make healthcare a right, not a privilege with a real public option. I will tackle climate change with a laser focus. I will once and for all take on the NRA and have universal background checks on all gun sales. I will stop ignoring the two-thirds of Americans who don’t have a 4-year degree and make the largest expansion in community college and skills training in American history. I will protect a woman’s fundamental right to control her own body.   And we will expand access to women’s healthcare and family planning to every woman in America – especially those in rural or low-income areas."

John Hickenlooper to Address California Democratic Party, Attend Oakland Church Service

John Hickenlooper to Address California Democratic Party, Attend Oakland Church Service

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - On Saturday afternoon, Governor John Hickenlooper will join other Democratic presidential candidates in addressing California Democratic Party members. In his remarks, the Governor will urge the Democratic Party to distance itself from socialism, expanding on comments he made on NPR's Morning Edition earlier this week (full interview). 

On Sunday, the Governor will attend a church service in Oakland. Bishop Bob Jackson will be delivering the sermon. Hickenlooper has been endorsed by The Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance. 

DETAILS

WHAT: Hickenlooper will address the California Democratic State Party Convention
WHEN: 2:40 PM on Saturday, June 1
WHERE: The George R. Moscone Convention Center, 747 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 --- Hall F

WHAT: Hickenlooper will attend service at Acts Full Gospel Church
WHEN: 11:30 AM on Sunday, June 2
WHERE: 1034 66th Ave, Oakland, CA 94621