Hunter S. Thompson’s Wild Campaign for Aspen Sheriff
The Hotel Jerome’s J-Bar in Aspen looks like any upscale ski town watering hole today, but in 1970 it served as campaign headquarters for the wildest sheriff’s race in American history.
Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson ran on the “Freak Power” ticket, promising to tear up all roads and replace them with grass, rename the town “Fat City,” and put drug dealers in public stocks.
His radical platform terrified the establishment so much that Republicans and Democrats united against him for the first time ever.
Thompson lost by fewer than 100 votes on a tense election night filled with armed supporters and paranoid security sweeps.
Here’s how a mescaline-fueled campaign almost turned this mountain resort into America’s first counterculture county.
Chicago Riots Sparked Thompson’s Political Awakening
Hunter S. Thompson left the 1968 Democratic Convention angry and changed.
He saw Chicago cops beating protesters in the streets. He watched peaceful demonstrators get their heads cracked open while politicians ignored it.
The violence he saw lit a fire in Thompson. He decided to fix the broken system by joining it.
Thompson realized Aspen’s growing hippie population could become a voting force if organized properly. The freaks could take over through legal voting.
A Six-Vote Loss Proved Freaks Could Win
Thompson got local lawyer Joe Edwards to test the waters first. Edwards had won Colorado’s first civil rights case against Aspen cops who harassed hippies.
In 1969, Edwards ran for mayor with Thompson backing him. The town leaders laughed until election night, when Edwards lost by just six votes out of 1,200.
The close call shocked everyone. Thompson saw the numbers and knew his “Freak Power” movement could win.
He promised to run for sheriff if Edwards won. Edwards lost, but Thompson ran anyway.
Wall Posters Became Thompson’s Political Weapon
Thompson worked with artist Tom Benton in March 1970 to create the “Aspen Wall Poster” series. These weren’t normal campaign flyers.
Each poster mixed Benton’s bold art with Thompson’s sharp writing on a single sheet. The first poster exposed a corrupt attorney who quit after it came out.
The Wall Posters showed up all over town, stuck on buildings and passed around.
Thompson used them to build the Freak Power movement and attack what he called the “greedheads” running Aspen.
The J-Bar Turned Into Revolutionary Headquarters
The Hotel Jerome’s J-Bar became Thompson’s campaign center. He showed up daily, ordered food, and sorted mail while drinking.
Campaign manager Michael Solheim worked with volunteers from a corner table while Thompson held court. The bar filled with long-haired supporters planning strategy over beers.
Thompson wrote campaign materials between drinks, sometimes working until morning. The J-Bar changed from tourist spot to revolutionary base.
Locals stayed away during campaign season, scared of what they might hear.
Grass Streets and Public Bikes Would Transform Aspen
Thompson’s six-point plan shocked voters with its bold ideas. He wanted to tear up all asphalt streets in Aspen and replace them with grassy walking areas.
Cars would be banned from downtown. He planned to rename Aspen as “Fat City” to scare away greedy developers.
A fleet of public bicycles would be kept by the sheriff’s office for everyone to use.
Most shocking, Thompson promised his deputies would never carry guns in public to prevent what he called “blood-baths by trigger-happy cops.
Drug Dealers Would Face Public Humiliation
Thompson took a strange approach to drug policy. He said “no drug worth taking should be sold for money” and promised to put dishonest drug dealers in stocks on the courthouse lawn.
His plan included a platform where dealers would face public shaming.
Meanwhile, he promised to completely ignore marijuana users while going after those who sold drugs for profit. Thompson wanted to treat drug issues as health problems rather than crimes.
His approach scared conservatives but connected with younger voters.
Rolling Stone Made Thompson’s Campaign Famous Nationwide
Thompson’s article “The Battle of Aspen” hit newsstands in the October 1, 1970 issue of Rolling Stone. The cover said “Freak Power in the Rockies,” bringing national attention to the local race.
The 75 copies sent to Aspen sold out in days. Reporters from across the country flooded the small mountain town.
TV crews set up on street corners. The campaign grew from a local oddity to a symbol of the counterculture challenging mainstream politics. Thompson gave daily interviews, spreading his message far beyond Aspen.
Political Enemies United Against Thompson
The town leaders panicked as Thompson gained support. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents formed a group called “RID” with one goal: stop Thompson.
Traditional political rivals agreed not to run against each other to avoid splitting the anti-Thompson vote. Liberal Democrats backed Republican Sheriff Carrol Whitmire rather than run their own candidate.
Conservative business owners and liberal old-timers joined forces, scared of Thompson’s ideas. The coalition showed how seriously the power structure took the Freak Power threat.
Death Threats Turned the Campaign Dangerous
As election day got closer, things turned dark. Anonymous callers threatened to bomb City Hall if Thompson won.
Two cases of dynamite went missing from an Aspen Ski Corporation storage area.
A federal agent tried to sneak into Thompson’s campaign, pretending to be a supporter while gathering information. Police told Thompson to move his campaign to his fortified Owl Farm ranch outside town.
Campaign workers started carrying guns. Thompson’s supporters patrolled his property at night with flashlights, expecting trouble.
Costumed Freaks Packed the Jerome on Election Night
On November 3, 1970, the Hotel Jerome filled with Thompson supporters in wild costumes. Long-haired men and women in face paint drank and smoked while waiting for results.
Armed campaign workers checked the property with flashlights, watching for attackers. Early returns showed Thompson winning big in Aspen but losing in rural areas.
The mood swung between celebration and tension as numbers came in.
Thompson walked through the crowd, American flag over his shoulders, getting updates from poll watchers.
Thompson Lost the Battle But Changed Aspen Forever
Thompson lost by fewer than 100 votes in the final count.
He gave his concession speech wrapped in an American flag while wearing a blonde founding fathers’ wig. “I proved what I set out to prove,” he told the crowd, “that the American Dream really is f—–“
Despite the loss, Thompson’s campaign transformed Aspen politics.
Many of his ideas eventually became reality – legal marijuana, environmental protection, and limits on development. The Freak Power movement continued electing candidates to local offices throughout the 1970s.
Thompson never ran again, but his campaign showed how outsiders could challenge the system and almost win.
Visiting Aspen Historic District, Colorado
You can explore Hunter S. Thompson’s wild 1970 sheriff campaign at the Wheeler/Stallard Museum at 620 W.Bleeker Street.
The Aspen Historical Society runs a “Freak Power” exhibit there Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $10 for adults and $8 for seniors.
They also offer Hotel Jerome lobby tours about the campaign.
Check out the J-Bar’s original Chinoiserie Chippendale till signed by every bartender over the years.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
Read more from this brand:
The post Hunter Thompson’s sheriff bid that made Aspen’s Republicans and Democrats nervous appeared first on When In Your State.