Heidi Ganahl levels attacks and dodges Trump in campaign launch

Republican Heidi Ganahl on Tuesday listed in quick succession the problems in Colorado that are driving her run for governor — high gas prices, a mental health crisis, inflation, unemployment and increased violent crime.

The big picture: And she leveled not-so-veiled attacks against Democrat Jared Polis, the nation's first openly gay elected governor, the Denver Post reports.

• Ganahl, a University of Colorado regent and the only statewide elected Republican, talked about Polis' "friends in San Francisco" driving the administration’s agenda and his "silver spoon" — a reference to his wealth.

Yes, but: It's what the new GOP candidate didn't say that stands out.

• She refused to comment on whether she believes the 2020 election was legitimate, or if agrees with former President Trump's false claims about election fraud.
• She would not specify whether she supports preventing 1.8 million unaffiliated voters from casting ballots in the 2022 Republican primary election.

Of note: Ahead of her campaign launch, Ganahl also purged her Twitter account, deleting thousands of tweets and followers, including some that expressed support for Trump, 9News reports. She called it standard practice.

Why it matters: The legitimacy of the 2020 election and the GOP primary vote are two of the main issues on the minds of Republican activists who she'll need to win over to earn a chance to face Polis in November 2022.

Reality check: The problems she blamed on the governor, such as gas prices and inflation, are not entirely attributable to the Polis administration.

• And her attack on his wealth belies the fact that Ganahl, who founded and sold Camp Bow Wow, is a multimillionaire, too.