Andrew Romanoff formally announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate this morning in Pueblo, a seat currently held by Michael Bennet (D). Following his announcement, Romanoff made his way to downtown Colorado Springs, where he spoke to a packed room of well over 100 supporters at the Penrose Public Library.

Romanoff’s campaign provided a free lunch to attendees during his speech. His challenge to incumbent Michael Bennet is unusual, to say the least, as Bennet has already received the endorsement of Governor Ritter and Sen. Udall and has record-setting fundraising numbers, a large portion coming from out-of-state donors.

But Romanoff’s qualifications far outweigh Bennet’s. He served as Colorado Representative from 2000-2009, when he was term-limited, and as Speaker of the House since 2005. Bennet, on the other hand, was virtually unknown prior to his appointment to the Senate. He worked as Superintendent to Denver Public Schools and has never campaigned for a public office, which many feel makes him a weak contender against the Republican challengers running for the 2010 race.

Bennet’s resumé also includes work as Managing Director for Philip Anschutz, a conservative who helped fund Amendment 2, an anti-gay amendment, and found the Discovery Institute, a conservative think-tank which promotes the teaching of intelligent design.

Romanoff is willing to take a position on controversial issues, such as the public option and the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a union-friendly bill that would end secret ballots. 

Bennet supports the concept of a public option but has stated he won’t vote for it unless it is budget-neutral, aligning him with Blue Dog Democrats who have been the target of party wrath for refusing to support recent health care proposals. He has yet to take a position on EFCA, meaning he’s unlikely to get the union support necessary for a Democratic win in Colorado.

Many Democrats were unhappy with Ritter’s selection of Bennet to replace Ken Salazar, whom Obama designated Secretary of Interior, believing  that Romanoff was the obvious choice.

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