Nicholas Riccardi and Will Weissert

The Associated Press

Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper could be considering an end to his presidential bid in lieu of a run for the Centennial state's Republican-held Senate seat, according to an article published Tuesday by the New York Times.

Citing officials who have been in discussions with the Hickenlooper campaign, The Times reported that Hickenlooper is giving "serious consideration" to switching to the Senate race, but a final decision has not yet been made.

As of Wednesday morning, Hickenlooper was still tweeting about his presidential bid.

"From my first day as Governor of Colorado, we elevated rural communities to keep their well-being a statewide priority. As president, I am prepared to do the same. We must build and protect the vital assets rural America brings to our nation," he tweeted.

Last week, while touring Iowa, Hickenlooper also re-emphasized his focus on the presidential race.

UPDATE:John Hickenlooper to drop out of 2020 presidential race, aides say

"I think I'm better served, I think the team is better served, if I maintain absolute focus on here's what we're doing in Iowa, here's what we're going to do this week, here's what we're going to do next week," he said at the time.

However, without a significant change in momentum, Hickelooper may not qualify for the next round of presidential debates in September, according to the Times.

If Hickenlooper bails on the jam-packed presidential primary, he'll be trading one crowded Democratic contest for another. Ten Democrats have already filed to run against Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Colorado, and some have raised as much or more money in the past quarter for their bids as Hickenlooper has in his presidential effort.

Colorado is key to Democratic hopes of retaking a Senate majority in the 2020 election, according to the Times.

Political analysts told the Associated Press that while Hickenlooper likely has the stature to still dominate the field, he'd be less of a sure thing than he would have been before he launched his White House bid in March.

Still, plenty of people in Washington and Colorado are thinking about the Senate. Members of Hickenlooper's own staff implored him to make the switch in late May, and when he stayed in the White House race, several left the campaign.

But after a lackluster debate performance, a former Hickenlooper strategist in Colorado, Curtis Hubbard, registered several internet domains, including "Hickenlooper4Senate.com," in the hopes of getting Hickenlooper to change targets.

"John Hickenlooper remains incredibly popular with Colorado voters," said Hubbard, adding that he hasn't talked to Hickenlooper since January. He contended Hickenlooper would become "an instant front-runner in one of the nation's most closely-watched Senate races."

Polling published by the Denver Post on Aug. 12 showed that of the 600 likely Democratic primary voters polled, 61% preferred Hickenlooper, compared to 10% for Mike Johnston, 8% for Andrew Romanoff, 6% for Secretary of State Jena Griswold and 15% undecided.

The main pressure on Hickenlooper is not necessarily time. Colorado's Senate primary is in June 2020, and Democrats and Republicans agree the former governor could enter late and still be the favorite.

"I don't see what the hurry is other than that (Senate minority leader Chuck) Schumer's getting antsy," said veteran Colorado Democratic strategist Ted Trimpa.

In recent weeks, Hickenlooper has softened his denials about the Senate bid. In a June appearance in Washington, he said, "If the Senate is so good, how come all those senators want to get out?" Earlier this month, the former governor, after prodding, told SiriusXM, "I've never ruled out anything."

The reality is Hickenlooper may not be able to sustain a full presidential bid for much longer. He had only $836,000 in campaign cash left on June 30 and is expected to run out of money soon.

That makes Hickenlooper's situation more acute than two other presidential hopefuls Schumer has also unsuccessfully wooed for Senate bids, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas. Bullock entered the race later than Hickenlooper, and while his bid is also a long shot, he's had less time to burn scarce campaign dollars. He reported $1.5 million in cash as of June 30. O'Rourke had a disappointing second quarter of fundraising, but unlike the two governors, he has already qualified for the September debates thanks to the national profile and donor base he built during his unsuccessful 2018 Senate campaign.