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'Republican Needs To Win': Stapleton On Governor's Race

By Alan Gionet

DENVER (CBS4)- Republican Walker Stapleton started early Wednesday, just hours after the primary election, to make his case as his party's nominee in Colorado's race for governor.

"We started with more than a dozen candidates for governor and I was and I still remain the only candidate that's run… statewide not once but twice and won both times, I'm hoping to make it three. I think I have a demonstrated track record of winning swing counties in Colorado that a Republican needs to win to win statewide."

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CBS4's Alan Gionet interviews Republican Gubernatorial candidate Walker Stapleton (credit: CBS)

Stapleton appeared on CBS4 This Morning where he immediately criticized his main opponent, Democrat Jared Polis. "The differences could not be more clear between Jared Polis and myself."

Stapleton pointed out that he's worked with Democrats, including former governor Bill Ritter to defeat a single-payer health care system.

Colorado Primary Election Day 2018
Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Walker Stapleton during his Colorado primary victory speech at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in the Denver Tech Center June 26, 2018. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Colorado Primary Election Results

"And I've been a loud voice for reforming our public pension system."

Stapleton did push his own proposal last year for reforming the state's PERA pension system. His proposals to save it from insolvency included ending cost of living adjustments until things could be straightened out.

Colorado Primary Election Day 2018
Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Walker Stapleton, second from left, holds his two daughters, Colette, 6, left, and Olivia, 4, while his wife, Jenna, fifth from left, and his mother Debbie, far right, celebrate moments after Walker's Colorado primary victory speech at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in the Denver Tech Center June 26, 2018. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

State lawmakers reached a compromise in May, adding $225 million in general fund money a year, suspending cost of living adjustments for two years and raising the minimum retirement age to 64. The deal pulled PERA back from the edge of doom, but it is not what Stapleton or any other of the other main players in negotiations wanted.

Stapleton was elected treasurer the same year term limited John Hickenlooper took office, 2010. He is the state's longest serving statewide Republican. Coming through the Republican primaries he was supportive of Pres. Donald Trump, who did not win Colorado in 2016.

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Republican Gubernatorial candidate Walker Stapleton (credit: CBS)

Stapleton did not denounce the Trump Administration's policy that was separating families seeking entry at the border, but said no one wants to see families broken up.

"I think it is important that whoever the governor is, that he has a positive relationship with Washington and the President and I've supported the President trying to keep our country safe and I've supported the President's tax cuts."

He has political pedigree, even in Colorado, in spite of questions about his claims of being a fourth generation Coloradan in a campaign ad, although his early years were spent in Connecticut. He is a distant relative of the late First Lady Barbara Bush and a descendant of former Denver Mayor Benjamin Stapleton.

Alan Gionet is anchor of CBS4 This Morning and reports on a wide variety of issues and "Good Question" stories. He started at CBS4 in 1994. Follow Alan on Twitter @AlanGTV or on Facebook.

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