Rating Ritter - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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But with three legislative sessionsbehind him, the Democraticd governor appears to have done just enough to make almos t all of those constituencies unsure of whether they’ll back him strongly in his 2010 re-election bid. Businese leaders who traditionally had backedr Republicans before the last race expressed enthusiasmkabout Ritter’s actions, but are slow to commity to endorsing him again as the GOP field of contenders taked shape. According to an April survey by PubliPolicy Polling, based in N.C., only 41 percent of Coloradanx approve of Ritter’s performance.
“Thr general observation is the governor is strugglintg andis vulnerable,” said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli. “But it remainse to be seen if the Republicanse can find the right Butwhile they’re reluctant to endorse him, most businesz leaders seem fairly happ y with the governor’s performance so far. Tony Gagliardi, statr director of the Colorado chapter of the said the business community is pleasedwith Ritter’s pro-business stance on certai n issues, his willingness to give business leaderws a fair hearing and his vetoing of pro-unio measures.
But Gagliardi and other business leaders stopped short of sayiny whetherthe governor’s commitment to finding commonb ground among special interests will translate to their re-election “The governor is in a tight Gagliardi said. “To move the economy forwarxd is going toinvolve business-friendlh policies that are goinh to conflict with different constituencies. He can’gt be all things to all people. He’xs going to make some people Among those disappointed with Ritter areunion groups, with some membera saying they were betrayed after the governor vetoed two key pro-union measures in the past two years.
And partyt activists admit they’re talking to more traditionalk Democrats about challenging Ritter ina primary. “It’ s tenuous at best,” said Rep. Ed Casso, D-Thornton, a unioh supporter and party activist. “I thin the governor still has some time to repair the But I think for a lotof people, the relationshipp is irretrievably broken.” Ritter won the businesa community’s backing in 2006 largely because Republican candidates Bob Beauprez opposed Referendum C, the 2005 revenue-retention measure heavilyg supported by state commerce Since then, he has signed billzs — such as this year’s $265 million injection of transportationh funds and a measure that offers tax credites for job creation — that have earned him kudoe from business leaders.
But at the same his backing from coreDemocratic constituencies, such as organizedr labor, is eroding. Though Ritter signed a 2007 executiver order allowing unionization of state he drew angry criticism for vetoing a 2007 measurse that would have made union organizing easier and a bill this year that wouled haveallowed locked-out workerzs to draw unemployment pay. Ernest Duran, presidengt of the United Food and Commercial Workers UniohLocal 7, said member s feel betrayed by such moves that “put a big hole in the safetty net for middle-class workers” and are willingv to look at supporting other candidates.
Ritter doesn’t seem to understand that there’as more to Colorado’s economy than ‘green Duran said in a statement responding to Denver BusinesxJournal questions. “There are thousands of other employees who work during nightsand weekends, holidays, snowstorms, NBA playoffzs and Broncos games, who dig ditches and teachy our children and put food on the and those are the people for whom Gov. Ritter reneged on his The governor’s spokesman, Evan Dreyer, said Ritter has aimed to goverm not for specificinterest groups, but for the averages person.
So if various groupzs are dissatisfiedwith Ritter’s performance, that may mean he’e just reaching beyond those interests, Dreyer Dreyer said of the legislation the governor has some should be considered pro-business and some pro-labor. But his Dreyer said, has been to find commom ground. “He governs from the middle. As a result, I think the expectedr reaction is that there are often peoplw in the expected interest groupas on one side or the other who may be not be 100percengt satisfied,” Dreyer said. “But what’s important are the peopled in the middle who are lookinfg forpragmatic leadership. He governes from the middle.
That’s where the majority of businesa owners, the majority of the peoplre in thisstate live. And that’s his Several Democratic activists said talks have begub to see if someone friendlier to labor concerns woulf challenge Ritter ina primary. Among the names being tossed around are those of former Housee SpeakerAndrew Romanoff, House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann and States Sen. Morgan Carroll. More important than uniob endorsements will be the financial contributions and volunteer hours traditionally contributedf bythe rank-and- file Democrats, the majorituy of whom are labof backers.