In a surprising move, John Suthers has reversed course and decided not to stand as a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010. Chris Rizo at LegalNewsline reports:

As for a possible Senate bid, Suthers said while it is a "marvelous opportunity" and that he would be able to be a viable candidate against Salazar's successor, Democrat and former Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet.

Suthers said the fundraising demands would be too onerous.

This is a very sudden reversal for Suthers. His U.S. Senate candidacy had been considered by most insiders a "sure thing" earlier this month. Only in the last few days did rumors begin to spread that Suthers was getting cold feet.

His run for U.S. Senate was considered so likely that Weld County D.A. Ken Buck and U.S. attorney Troy Eid were already gathering support to run for attorney general, Suthers' current job. Buck has previously hinted at an interest in running for CD-4 while Troy Eid has hinted at an interest in running for, well, anything...

As for the Senate race, the departure of Suthers could create an opening for someone like Mark Hillman or Ryan Frazier to tie up a considerable amount of early support now freed up.