In late November, political consultant Michael Whitehorn got a call from a colleague who works for a Colorado Democratic Party campaign fund. Whitehorn’s firm had signed on to support state Sen. Julie Gonzales’ impending campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, and the caller — Chris Ro rk — ran a party campaign fund. He also once worked as a regional director for Hickenlooper. Colorado state Sen. Julie Gonzales speaks during a news conference to launch a campaign for an affordable housing ballot measure on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Aurora. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) During the call, Whitehorn recalled, Rork told him that it wasn’t too late for Whitehorn’s firm to avoid being blacklisted for working on a campaign that they were “going to lose anyway.” Whitehorn said Rork told him that if Gonzales’ primary campaign didn’t go forward, he could “guarantee” that Whitehorn’s firm would be hired to work for the unified Democratic campaign next year. Rork also allegedly proposed an “alternative path” for Gonzales, Whitehorn said. “And that would be the Denver mayor’s office. He implied there would be some version of more support for a race like that than there would be for a Senate race,” Whitehorn said. He added that Rork didn’t provide any other details, including the timing — Mayor Mike Johnston is midway through his first term — or what sort of support could be available. Whitehorn and Gonzales’ two other consultants described the call as part of a “pattern of pressure,” undertaken since September, to try to dissuade Gonzales from entering the race. It didn’t work: On Monday, the progressive state senator launched her campaign with a video criticizing Hickenlooper for voting to confirm nominees put forward by the Trump administration, part of her broader criticism of establishment Democrats’ approach to governance. Speaking to The Denver Post about the pressure campaign, Whitehorn said he was taken aback by Rork’s suggestion that Gonzales pursue a future mayoral campaign. He recalled telling Rork that Gonzales wasn’t interested in running for mayor, and the call ended soon after. Attempts to reach Rork and the Hickenlooper campaign for comment Tuesday were not successful. In a statement, Colorado Democratic Party spokesman Andrew Nicla wrote that Rork “believed that his comments were given in a private capacity as a friend. He was not speaking on behalf of the Colorado Democratic Party.” He added: “We encourage anyone with a spirit of service to run. We are neutral in primaries.” The call was not the only sign of opposition to Gonzales’ candidacy. In September, several website addresses referencing a Gonzales Senate run were registered by someone unaffiliated with her campaign. Anyone trying to visit the sites has instead been redirected to Hickenlooper’s campaign site. Recent Google searches for Gonzales’ name first returned a Hickenlooper ad, paid for by his campaign. A former Hickenlooper chief of staff, who now works for an NFL team, also texted Whitehorn, writing that he hoped “Gonzalez” would reconsider “before she takes the focus away from fighting republicans.” Days after the websites were purchased and rerouted in September, a text message poll was sent to some Colorado voters, according to images reviewed by The Post. The survey sought voters’ opinions on Hickenlooper and Gonzales. It also included a lengthy question touting Hickenlooper’s achievements and asked whether they were convincing reasons to support him. A little over a week later, Gonzales said, she had lunch with Rork. In her datebook entry for Oct. 2, reviewed by The Post, she wrote that Rork told her, “I can absolutely guarantee you that you will not win this primary.” Gonzales said she took that to mean, “I’ve seen what these races will do. Don’t do this.” Rork did not return a voicemail or text message seeking comment Tuesday. Hickenlooper’s campaign did not respond by the early afternoon to an emailed list of questions also sent Tuesday. Rork is the executive director of the Democratic Senate Campaign Fund, Whitehorn said, which is described on its website as an “initiative of the Colorado Democratic Party.” The fund is used to raise money for Democratic state Senate candidates. The state party requires the neutrality cited by Nicla of its officials. The policy applies to elected party officers and prevents them from making endorsements in contests in their jurisdiction, like individual legislative races. Related Articles Colorado state senator launches progressive primary challenge of U.S. Sen. 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Rork’s alleged offer of guaranteed work for next year’s Democratic “coordinated campaign” supporting the party’s top candidates — essentially the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial nominees — could mean contracts worth anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000 a month, Whitehorn said. “My reaction was (a) hard pass,” Orloff said of Rork’s offer. “We do not want to be part of this culture of consultants and insiders in the establishment who pick who’s going to be in primaries behind the scenes, and then go to Democratic voters and expect them to dutifully and loyally vote for the people who they already picked.” Gonzales is the best-known of several Democratic challengers seeking to supplant Hickenlooper, who previously served as Colorado’s governor and Denver’s mayor before winning a Senate seat in 2020. The primary election is June 30. Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot. ...read more read less