There have long been rumblings that Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has a strong chance of leading Hillary Clinton’s Interior Department if she wins the White House. It’s a position that has often gone to popular lawmakers from the West. But now, as Politico reports, a blockade from the green wing of the Democratic Party could dash Hickenlooper’s hopes.
Environmentalists in the party have soured on the governor for his outspoken defense of the oil and gas industry. And opposition to his bid has grown even more strident in the last week, after two anti-fracking measures failed to make the November ballot in Colorado. Greens in the party are actively warning Clinton against giving Hickenlooper power over the nation's fossil fuel resources.
Hickenlooper’s credentials as an environmentalist have frequently been question, in large part due to his past career as a petroleum geologist. Some believe Clinton would be unwise to pick a fight with a powerful constituency in her party by choosing Hickenlooper at the beginning of a possible first White House term.