John Hickenlooper

Monday, July 22, 2019
Des Moines, Iowa
Bird Dogs: Shaun Ahern, Claire Guderjahn, Shari Hrdina

Our bird doggers asked Governor Hickenlooper if he would participate in a climate debate.

John Hickenlooper and Shaun Ahern

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Friday, March 8, 2019
Des Moines, Iowa
Bird Dogs: Kathy Byrnes, Ed Fallon

Hickenlooper says climate change is a serious issue but the crisis isn’t prioritized in his campaign. He deflects to his top priority: bringing people together.

In response to a question by Karl Knock, Hickenlooper insisted that “fracking doesn’t cause earthquakes.” That’s pretty disappointing, and if you listen to the rest of his response, it feels disingenuous.

One comment we didn’t capture was when Hickenlooper said he drank fracked water because, after an oil executive drank it, and he didn’t want to offend the guy by not drinking it himself. For real.

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Sunday, January 27, 2019
West Des Moines, Iowa
Bird Dogs: Kathy Byrnes, Ed Fallon, Sarah Spain

Kathy Byrnes, Sarah Spain, and Ed Fallon talked with Hickenlooper about fracking, climate change, and eminent domain, and Rick Smith asked specifically about the Governor’s climate plan.

We were also covered in the Denver Post:

John Hickenlooper in Iowa: The case for a moderate problem-solver

Still, Iowans are beginning to do their own political calculus to determine what’s important for them.

For Ed Fallon, the founder of an environmental advocacy group who attended Hickenlooper’s event in West Des Moines, the former governor’s policies on the environment and drilling are likely a nonstarter. Climate change, he said, is not an issue but a “crisis.”

Fallon spoke with Hickenlooper and found his answers on fracking unsatisfactory, but acknowledged the former governor said he’d be willing to take a closer look at Iowa’s particular policies around drilling, land and mineral rights.

“It’s going to be a tough road for him,” Fallon said.