Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announces a run for president

NBC

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper appears on MSNBC's "Meet the Press."

• Colorado's former Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee on Monday.
• Hickenlooper, 66, served as Colorado's highly popular governor for two terms. Before that, he was the mayor of Denver and a successful businessman.
• As governor, Hickenlooper developed a reputation as a centrist, pragmatic problem-solver as opposed to a partisan firebrand.

Colorado's former Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee on Monday.

Hickenlooper, 66, served as Colorado's highly popular governor for two terms before being succeeded by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. Before that, he was the mayor of Denver (a non-partisan position) and a successful businessman who founded Colorado's first brewery pub, helping bring jobs and economic development to Denver.

In December, the Associated Press reported that Hickenlooper was quickly hiring up staff, including pollsters and fundraisers, for his Giddy Up PAC, created in 2017.

As governor, Hickenlooper struck a balance between espousing socially progressive policies on issues such as gun control while making Colorado a desirable home for business interests, including large energy companies.

While some progressives have criticized Hickenlooper for being too friendly to big oil & gas companies, including paving the way for fracking in Colorado, his supporters highlight his ability to work across the aisle and get along with just about anyone.

Read more: Our exclusive with Colorado's colorful, rising-star governor, the man some Davos elites say could lead Democrats in 2020

Throughout his entire political career, he's even refused to air any negative ads against his opponents - although that may have to change in the hyper-polarized environment of 2019.

"I think there's a point where someone like me - I'm an entrepreneur, I'm a problem solver, I've been good at bringing people together that historically have been antagonistic," Hickenlooper told CNN in December.

"Maybe the country needs someone that can bring the divided parts of the country and the divided constituencies back together."

Hickenlooper touts his record creating jobs, reducing unemployment, and increasing quality of life for rural Coloradans as the high points of his record as governor.

If Hickenlooper's presidential bid doesn't succeed, he would be well-positioned to challenge vulnerable Republican Colorado Senator Cory Gardner, who is up for re-election in 2022, or land a cabinet position in a future Democratic administration.