November 08, 2011 01:13 AM UTC

Andy Kerr Won't Have Primary Challenge After All

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Press release from Carroll after the jump, with full spin included.

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Democrat Brian Carroll had an interesting storyline to tout as a potential candidate for State Representative in Lakewood. Carroll’s campaign announcement last month noted the fact that he would be the first openly-gay soldier to run for office in the U.S. since the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which would probably generate some nice press for him in 2012.

Nice story. Wrong time, wrong place. Incumbent Rep. Andy Kerr is running for his final term in HD-28, and there was little support for Carroll’s challenge to the popular Democrat.

Carroll’s campaign kickoff was scheduled for Nov. 10, but we’ve heard internal rumblings that Carroll is set to announce that he won’t be staging a primary against Kerr after all. This is a smart move for Carroll, since any political future he might have would have been significantly damaged in 2012. He had little hope of defeating the popular and well-known Kerr, and if he damaged Kerr in advance of a general election, he would have burned a lot of bridges for no good reason. It makes far more sense for him to back off and wait two years.

***Brian Carroll Appointed Interim Chair of Colorado Democratic Veterans and Military Council***

Carroll steps out of State House Race to focus on Veterans Affairs Statewide

Denver, CO – Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio announced today that he has appointed former State House Candidate Brian Carroll as the interim Chair of the first Colorado Democratic Veterans and Military Council for the Colorado Democratic Party.

An active Colorado National Guardsman, Carroll will forgo his bid for the Colorado State House and will immediately take over as the interim Chair of the Colorado Democratic Veterans and Military Council. As interim Chair, Carroll will lead statewide efforts to support the nearly 425,000 Veterans[1] in the State of Colorado and the thousands of additional service members[2] that are anticipated to return to the State with the draw-down of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“As of 2010, Colorado ranked in the bottom third nationally in funding per Veteran,” commented Brian Carroll. Carroll continued, “Veterans in the State of Colorado and across the nation have struggled to get the resources they deserve and the Colorado Democratic Party is showing its commitment to our Armed Forces with the creation of this Veterans and Military Council.”

“As a three tour Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, I understand firsthand the challenges that our service members face when they return from active duty,” said Brian. He concluded, “After selflessly serving our country, many Veterans are not enjoying the healthy and secure lives they deserve. As interim Chair of the Colorado Democratic Veterans and Military Council, I will work tirelessly to provide the necessary leadership on Veterans’ issues and make certain that those returning to Colorado get the support they need. While I must discontinue my campaign for the State House of Representatives, the opportunity to help nearly half-a-million Veterans statewide is an immediate challenge that I cannot back-down from. I will continue my commitment to Lakewood and House District 28 as we tackle the challenges we face and I look forward to bringing my experience and leadership to the Colorado Democratic Party to support Veterans across Colorado.”