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Who is John Hickenlooper's wife Robin Pringle? Here's why the couple with $9M net worth is so controversial

In a state that has been trending blue for years, Hickenlooper is a perfect fit but no one really expected him to take the seat

Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has won the Colorado Senate race, defeating Senator Cory Gardner in a win that marks the first Democratic flip in the US Senate this election. In a state that has been trending blue for years influenced politically by an influx of younger and liberal voters, Hickenlooper is a perfect fit but no one really expected him to take the seat. 

According to the Associated Press, “the Senate race topped an electoral slate that includes a close race to replace GOP Rep Scott Tipton in the vast 3rd Congressional District and ballot initiatives on abortion, wolf reintroduction, paid family leave and the future of Colorado’s electoral votes.”

While the Democratic party got 55.2% votes, the Republican party clinched 42.8% of them. Back in 2014, Gardner beat a Democratic incumbent by promising to be “a new kind of Republican” — one who would pass bipartisan legislation with Democrats and support clean energy. Sadly, his promises didn't work. Now, as Hickenlooper takes the seat, here's a look at his personal life and the controversies. 

Who is his wife Robin Pringle?   

Born in California, Robin Pringle was educated at Duke University and Northwestern University. She holds a Bachelors Degree in public policy and received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. Did you know the couple has a 20-year age difference? On January 16, 2016, the two got married when Hickenlooper was 63 and Pringle was 37. 

Back then, he tweeted a picture and posted the caption: “Today, Robin Pringle made me the happiest man in #Colorado. #IDo #SheDo #WeDid.”

A self-confessed old soul, she told the Denver Post, “I think anybody who actually knows me thinks I'm older than he is, so it doesn't actually phase most people once they spend an hour with us...” Briefly, she was also the First Lady of Colorado until Hickenlooper was succeeded by Jared Polis in January 2019.

His first wife, Helen Thorpe, was a writer whose work has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, George and Texas Monthly. He divorced her in 2012 after 10 years of marriage and the pair also have a son together named Teddy. 

Why is she so controversial?

Interestingly, Pringle is not a Democrat. A report by Town and Country Magazine reads: “Despite growing up in the outskirts of San Francisco, a hotbed for liberals, Pringle was at one point a registered Republican. She has reportedly made contributions to the campaigns of Republicans and Democrats, including republican state treasurer Walker Stapleton, as well as democratic senator Michael Bennet — and Hillary Clinton. She is now a registered Independent.” 

According to reports, she oversees corporate development at Liberty Media, which owns QVC, Charter Communications, SiriusXM, the Atlanta Braves, Provide Commerce and Barnes and Noble. She is also on the Board of Directors at SiriusXM.

Back in January 2019, one Twitter user said, “John Hickenlooper is terrible Kristen. He is a right-wing democrat and his wife is a conservative blogger for Washington Post. They side with insurance companies over human beings. Please don’t make the Ellen mistake.”

Colorado Sun reported, “Hickenlooper is worth between $7.8 million and $23.6 million, according to a financial disclosure.” The former two-term Colorado governor reported income between $733,000 and $2.4 million from January 2018 to October 2019, according to a Colorado Sun analysis of the disclosure report. 

The report further read: “The disclosure includes assets belonging to his wife, Robin Hickenlooper, a senior vice president at Liberty Media Corporation, but her income is not disclosed. The couple’s combined assets are worth between $9.4 million and $27.3 million.”