After spending nearly 12 years as Denver’s district attorney, Bill Ritter prides himself on being tough on crime. During his tenure, the Colorado violent crime rate dropped and the incarceration rate rose.

Like Bob Beauprez, Ritter was born and raised in Colorado. He is a supporter of labor unions, having worked construction to pay for his education at Colorado State University.

Taking a break from legal work, he and his wife spent three years in Zambia, managing a nutrition center for children.

Ritter has made education the main focus of his campaign. He promises to do all he can to improve childhood education, decrease dropout rates, ready high school students for college and use Referendum C to decrease college costs.

“As governor,” Ritter states on his website, “I will establish innovative financing approaches to make higher education a reality for any young person with the ability and determination to pursue it.”

He has also proposed creating “student loan forgiveness programs similar to Americorps that would give middle- and low-income resident students an opportunity to pay off their student loans by completing public service or volunteer programs during their summer terms.”

Ritter also states his commitment to making Colorado a technologically savvy state.

“Broadband is quickly becoming the electricity of the 21st century,” his website says. “For Colorado to compete in the new information-based economy, affordable broadband Internet service must be made available to each and every one of our citizens.”

As a Democrat, one of the biggest issues facing Ritter is his personal stand on abortion.

“Based on my faith, I am personally opposed to abortion,” Ritter states. “But I recognize that people who disagree with me personally on this issue hold equally strong convictions. Most importantly, however, I know we also share common ground: We all would like to see fewer women facing an unintended pregnancy.”

Though this stand is outside the Democratic Party norm, Ritter has assured party voters that he will not introduce legislation inhibiting a woman’s right to choose.

What he will do, he says, is restore funding to Planned Parenthood, improve women’s access to health care – including birth control and emergency contraception – provide sex education and promote adoption as an abortion alternative.