Ben Carson speaks in Colorado Springs
NOTE: Scroll down for a live Twitter feed from the event with The Gazette’s Megan Schrader.
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Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who is running for president, will rally with supporters in America the Beautiful Park Thursday at 6 p.m. according to the El Paso County GOP.
Carson came to Colorado Springs almost exactly a year ago to sign copies of his book, but he was still on the fence then about a bid for president.
The turnout at that event was apparently impressive enough for Carson to return, now as an official candidate. He also had a strong showing in Denver this June at the Western Conservative Summit.
Carson came in first among the 18 GOP candidates that were identified at the time in a straw poll of several hundred attendees.
On Thursday, Congressman Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, will introduce Carson and Bishop Michael Sheridan of the Diocese of Colorado Springs will say the invocation.
Carson’s genial way of politicking is proving to be a draw for voters who like Donald Trump’s status as a outsider but not his belligerence.
Carson is emerging in polls as a top-tier candidate in the 17-person Republican presidential field, but that rise is being eclipsed by Trump and his headline-grabbing rhetoric and feuds, the Associated Press reports. The soft-spoken Carson is quick to joke about how little attention his approach is getting.
“There are so many things we can do,” Carson told more than 2,000 gathered in front of the Arkansas state Capitol on Thursday. “I’ve written about them and I’ll continue to write about them and talk about them.” He added: “I hope we’ll get a chance during the next debate to actually talk about them.”
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is interviewed in Little Rock, Ark., Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson, right, speaks with Edwin Johnson at a coffee shop in Little Rock, Ark., Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)