French American Foundation Robin Pringle
John Hickenlooper is the former governor of Colorado. On March 4, Hickenlooper officially announced his candidacy for president, joining the crowded race for the Democratic nomination. Hickenlooper released a video declaring his candidacy and describing his record as governor of Colorado. He also touted his experience as a small business owner and about his track record of standing up to bullies. “As a skinny kid with Coke-bottle glasses and a funny last name,” he said in the video, “I’ve stood up to my fair share of bullies.” Hickenlooper hinted that his childhood struggles against bullies had prepared him for the fight for the presidency.
John Hickenlooper married Robin Pringle in 2016, a few years after he and his first wife, Helen Thorpe, got divorced. Thorpe, a best-selling author, was sometimes described as a “reluctant” first lady, since she was not enthusiastic about her husband’s political career or about the demands that his career made on her. Thorpe described herself as an “elusive” first lady. She wrote about some of her feelings about her husband’s career in an essay for Denver’s 5280 Magazine, here. Thorpe and Hickenlooper split in 2012. Here’s what you need to know about Robin Pringle, John Hickenlooper’s second wife:
1. She’s a Vice President at Liberty Media & Sits on the Board of Sirius FM
Pringle is a vice president for corporate development at Liberty Media, a publicly traded corporation which owns, among other things, QVC, Charter Communications, SiriusXM, The Atlanta Braves, Provide Commerce, and Barnes and Nobles. As a vice president, Pringle helps to oversee the companies in Liberty’s existing investment portfolio, while looking for new investents in media, tech, and eComerce. She also sits on the Board of Directors of SiriusXM and is on the boards of the Clyfford Still Museum and the Colorado Innovation Network.
2. The 40-Year-Old Robin Pringle Is More Than a Quarter Century Younger Than Hickenlooper
ENGAGED! Gov Hickenlooper proposes to Robin Pringle! CONGATS @hickforco!
Robin Pringle and John Hickenlooper tied the knot in January 2016, in a small, private ceremony. Hickenlooper reportedly proposed to Pringle over the Christmas holiday, after the couple had been dating for about a year. “I’ve been trying to talk her out of it for months,” Hickenlooper told the Denver Post, “but she still seemed eager so I just looked her in the eye and said, ‘Should we do this? Would you be willing to get married and be my wife?’”
At the time, Hickenlooper had been separated from his first wife, Robin Thorpe, for several years. He was 63 years old when he married Pringle; she was 37. Pringle, who describes herself as an “old soul,” says their age difference is not an issue in their relationship. “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 because I’m a fairly old soul,” she once told the Denver Post.
3.She Was Once Registered as a Republican & Is Now an Independent
Pringle told the Denver Post that she grew up in a “liberal environment;” she was raised on the outskirts of San Francisco by a stay-at-home mother and a lawyer father. Pringle used to be a registered Republican and has donated to the campaigns of both Republicans and Democrats, according to the Denver Post. She made a contribution to Republican State Treasurer Walker Stapleton and to two other Republicans, but she has also donated to Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat, and to Hillary Clinton. Pringle is now registered as an Independent.
4. Hickenlooper First Introduced Pringle as His Girlfriend at a Party in 2014, Two Years After Splitting From His First Wife
ICYMI: Gov. @hickforco married Robin Pringle in small ceremony Saturday: t.co/BPZCvxpHgs
Hickenlooper was married to his first wife, the author Helen Thorpe, for ten years; the two have a son named Teddy. They split in 2012 and officially divorced in 2014. They are reportedly on good terms. Thorpe attended Hickenlooper’s inauguration for his second term as governor. She also attended his wedding to Pringle and, Pringle told the Denver Post, offered Robin “good advice,” although Pringle didn’t say what the advice was about. Pringle added that Thorpe had been “incredibly welcoming” to her.
In 2014, after his divorce from Thorpe was offical, Hickenlooper invited Robin Pringle to at a holiday party at the Governor’s Mansion, where he formally introduced her as his girlfriend. Hickenlooper said at the time, “Yes, I have been dating a young woman named Robin Pringle. We met more than a year ago but only started dating some months ago, almost, as sometimes happens, by accident.”
5. She Grew Up in California & Has an MBA from Northwestern University
Congratulations and best wishes to @hickforco and Robin Pringle!
Pringle was born and raised in California. She has a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Duke University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Pringle is listed as a “young leader” by the French American Foundation.