Governor’s Wife: I Won’t Divorce You If You Run For President

Denver, CO — If you think that some of these high-profile political marriages are on the level, or are what they seem from the outside, think again.

Case in point: Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who may seek the presidency in 2016. Hickenlooper separated from his wife Helen Thorpe, a prominent journalist, last July after 10 years of marriage. They have one son.

According to the an interview Hickenlooper gave to the New York Times, a reconciliation was possible, but only if the governor seeks or sought higher office:

“If he hadn’t run for governor, I asked, would the marriage have survived? ‘It’s conceivable,’ [Hickenlooper] said. Then he volunteered that when they discussed separating, she had told him: ‘If you want to run for president, I’m in. We’ll stay married. I’ll figure it out and I’ll be fine.’ ”

“He shook his head. ‘It was amazingly generous,’ he said.”

Hickenlooper, the former mayor of Denver who was elected the state’s chief executive in 2010, added that he is focused on his job in Colorado, and turned down her “offer.” The governor also noted that he is still “good friends” with his wife.

Along these lines, there was a lot written that the late Elizabeth Edwards remained with John Edwards, the disgraced former Democrat US senator and VP candidate, because of her own political ambitions.

Virtually all couples have issues and may have legitimate reasons to stay or not stay together, but would you consider it “generous” or foolhardy for a spouse to stay in a marriage of convenience merely for political gain? Do you think that revealing this personal information was a blooper by Hickenlooper?

[Image credit: Beelde Photography / Shutterstock.com]