Hillary Clinton Stumping In Denver Shows How Important Colorado Could Be In 2016

DENVER (CBS4) - Hillary Clinton will be campaigning in Denver Tuesday evening, giving an indication of Colorado's importance in 2016.

It's Clinton's first campaign event outside of early primary states. It may be a sign the presumed nominee is nervous about her prospects as the Democratic primary takes some interesting twists.

It' still more than a year before the 2016 election and Clinton is spending $2 million on ads. She doing that as her favorability ratings tank and questions over a private email account at the state department and foreign government donations to the Clinton Foundation persist.

"I don't believe Hillary is in trouble. I mean the polls ebb and flow," said Mike Dino, former Democratic National Convention Host Committee CEO. "It does cause people who support her; it does cause her campaign to say, 'Are we doing what we need to be doing?' "

That's why she's in Colorado, according to Dino, who headed up the Democratic National Convention in Denver during Clinton's last bid for president.

Colorado is a swing state where 62 percent of voters in a recent poll say Clinton is not honest and trustworthy.

"Hillary learned a lot from 2008 in terms of organizing, making sure you have your votes counted, and getting those delegates to the convention," Dino said. "She's going to be very formidable."

Still she has her work cut out for her. Her visit comes a month after 5,000 Coloradans turned out to hear from opponent Bernie Sanders, who's steadily gaining on Clinton.

"I'm hoping people are actually out there searching for opinions and philosophies and points of view and principles to see what people stand for," Democratic analyst Penfield Tate said.

Tate says Clinton's $45 million war chest makes her a frontrunner. But he says the nomination is far from decided.

"Don't be surprised if Biden gets in and maybe one or two other people get in too," Tate said.

After all, Republicans now have 17 candidates.

Clinton will be rallying volunteers at La Rumba located at 99 West 9th Avenue in Denver starting at 6 p.m. Earlier Tuesday she raised money at a home in Denver's Cherry Creek area. The hosts had to raise $77,000 and attendees were asked to donate $2,700 each.

So far Clinton's ads are only running in Iowa and New Hampshire, but they'll be in Colorado soon.