Federico Pena sees 'a lot' of himself in Obama -- and a transformative DNC for Denver

Federico Pena, Obama
campaign co-chair.

Federico Pena says he “saw a lot of myself” in the outsider presidential candidacy of a young Democratic senator from Illinois.

“When I ran for mayor in 1982, I was very young (36), a party outsider. People said that I couldn’t win…because, as a friend told me, ‘Denver’s not ready for a Hispanic mayor,’” says Pena, now co-chair of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

Pundits, he notes, said the same about an African-American hopeful. As a result, “I really understand personally what he’s going through,” Pena says.

Back then, Pena proved the skeptics wrong, emerging from a crowded field in 1983 to win the election, followed by re-election four years later. “In Denver, I sensed this underground movement of discontent, thousands who weren’t being invited to the party, and who felt Denver wasn’t reaching its full potential for the highest good. Barack picked up on something similar nationally.”

Their shared bond is why Pena endorsed Obama’s long-shot bid last September rather than backing Sen. Hillary Clinton, even though he had advised Bill Clinton during his presidential run in 1992, and had served as both Secretary of Transportation and Energy when Clinton was president.

“Some say I was disloyal to the Clintons. That wasn’t it. My loyalty is to my country,” he explains, adding that “the other candidates were good, experienced people. I just felt Barack stood apart.”

Pena, 61, who has worked in the private sector with Vestar Capital Partners in Denver for nearly a decade, says the coming Democratic National Convention will be one of the “most important global events” in this decade because he feels the Obama presidency will be “transformative,” changing the way America is perceived internationally.

Clearly, things have come a long way since Pena called upon Denverites, reeling from the collapse of the local oil and gas industry in the early 1980s, to “imagine a great city.” The Democratic Convention in August will be “the culmination of all the hard work done in the ‘80s and ‘90s here.” Along with such events as Denver hosting the papal visit and the G8 Summit, this convention will stamp Denver and Colorado as a major player, he believes, as world leaders and media pour in.

“People here are just beginning to comprehend the magnitude of what is going to happen” with the nomination – and he hopes election – of the first African-American president in U.S. history.

To achieve that end, Pena says he will continue to work for Obama, particularly in reaching out to Hispanic voters, many of whom are loyal to "the Clinton brand. Obama is not a brand name yet in the Hispanic community." As for any speculation that he might return to Washington in Obama’s cabinet, Pena is quick to dismiss the question.

“We haven’t won the election yet,” he states.

But if 1983 is any indication, Pena is betting on a long-shot winner.