Tom Wiens Announces Bid For U.S. Senate Seat

Throw one more name in the mix of challengers for Michael Bennet's Senate seat. Former State Senator Tom Wiens R-Castle Rock, a Douglas County rancher and small businessman, has officially thrown his hat into the highly contested race for Michael Bennet's seat in the U.S. Senate.

Wiens is pitting himself against GOP front runner Jane Norton who announced her candidacy in September.

In a statement released today, Wiens said he intends to take on Washington insiders and represent the "Forgotten Americans."

"Washington insiders are taking America in a wrong and dangerous direction. If you are at the top - from Washington or Wall Street - you get a bailout. If you are at the bottom you might get a handout. Those of us in the middle, we get to pay the bill," continued Wiens.

"Washington insiders from the right and left have forgotten who they represent. They have ignored a whole segment of American society I call the "Forgotten Americans". They have forgotten the people of Colorado. For us, there is no bail out, just trillions of dollars of additional debt that our kids and grand kids will be forced to pay. It's time for that to stop."

Wiens has hired powerful Republicans Frank Luntz, a pollster, and political consultant George Gorton, both of whom lead California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign in 2003.

According to the Colorado Statesmen, Gorton and Luntz are experts in 'measuring and shaping public opinion and in motivating voters to cast their ballots.

Wiens told the Statesman that he is willing to put half a million dollars of his own money into the campaign and sees the investment as "start-up capital". He also claims to have a 100-member campaign finance team, which could pit him against Norton well, after she raised the same amount of money within weeks of announcing her campaign.