Mesa County Commissioner wants Tancredo included in Saturday's debate

Club 20’s ruling that candidate Tom Tancredo can’t participate in the organization’s gubernatorial debate could get one final test today.

Club 20’s board of directors regularly considers organization policy on the Friday preceding Saturday events such as the Club 20 debates.

“I fully expect somebody’s got to” bring up the policy that prevents Tancredo from debating with two other candidates, Club 20 Executive Director Reeves Brown said. The other candidates are Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, and Republican nominee Dan Maes.

Tancredo, who left the GOP for the American Constitution Party, joined a party that failed to garner enough votes in the last election cycle to claim a spot on the Club 20 debate lineup.

Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland, a Republican who turned on Maes this month, calling him a “fraud,” now supports Tancredo and wants him on the dais.

Club 20’s reasoning left her unpersuaded, Rowland said.

Tancredo is “obviously a viable candidate,” Rowland said. “My hope is that the (Club 20) board will apply common sense” and revise the policy.        – More –