U.S. Senate See Full Big Line

(D) J. Hickenlooper*

(R) Somebody

80%

20%

(D) Phil Weiser

(D) Joe Neguse

(D) Jena Griswold

60%

60%

40%↓

Att. General See Full Big Line

(D) M. Dougherty

(D) Alexis King

(D) Brian Mason

40%

40%

30%

Sec. of State See Full Big Line
(D) A. Gonzalez

(D) George Stern

(R) Sheri Davis

50%↑

40%

30%

State Treasurer See Full Big Line

(D) Brianna Titone

(R) Kevin Grantham

(D) Jerry DiTullio

60%

30%

20%

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

(R) Somebody

90%

2%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

(R) Somebody

90%

2%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Hurd*

(D) Somebody

80%

40%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert*

(D) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Crank*

(D) Somebody

80%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

(R) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) B. Pettersen*

(R) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(R) Gabe Evans*

(D) Manny Rutinel

(D) Yadira Caraveo

50%

40%↑

30%

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
August 01, 2006 12:53 AM UTC

Udall Backs Perlmutter

  • 23 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Rep. Mark Udall announced his endorsement of Democrat Ed Perlmutter’s campaign in CD-7 today. The endorsement should help Perlmutter with undecided Democrats, but it certainly wasn’t an unexpected move; Udall chief of staff Alan Salazar has been one of Perlmutter’s top advisors throughout his campaign.

Comments

23 thoughts on “Udall Backs Perlmutter

  1. In fact it is an unexpected move.  Salazar has said time and time again he was helping Perlmutter out of personal preference and on his own time – obviously I guess since he can’t simultaneously work for both.

    If I’m running for Senate in two years, there is no way I do not endorse the winner in this primary.  All the speculation on this site about polls and loans versus contributions are just that, speculation.  Nobody on this site knows what they are talking about.  In fact, it will be interesting to look back on these posts on August 9th and see how close some of these prognosticators come to reality.

    While this may not seal the deal and this will be a close primary, it is definitely helpful to have someone like Congressman Udall endorse you.

    Now, hopefully all the Lamm supporters don’t take this opportunity to bash the future senator from Colorado.

    1. I agree with ColoDem on the Perlmutter warchest thread:

      “The whole thing smacks of members of the Good Old Boys’ Club scratching each others’ backs.”

    2. If you’re a sitting member of Congress, it’s pretty unlikely that you release your Chief of Staff to go work on the campaign of someone you don’t support. 

      As a result, when Salazar officially signed on, the endorsement was a done deal.  The only question was when it would happen.

  2. The question is why would Udall insert himself into such a contentious primary when he knows the top two candidates?  I thought he wanted to be a U.S. Senator in two years.  Might be hard to do when word gets out you have a habit of choosing the good ol boys over women in hot primaries. 

    1. Victimhood is so wonderful.

      It’s the losers’ favorite gambit, and sometimes it works. Ask Jesse Jackson.

      If Udall knows both candidates and picked one, he obviously has an opinion about their capabilities as candidates and potential members of Congress.

      Doesn’t say much good about Lamm. Indeed, it confirms my growing sense that she’s too small for the job she seeks.

      Strong women win. Weak ones whine.

    2. But I wouldn’t want any member of Congress to endorse any candidate just because she’s a woman. That’s just as wrong as automatically picking a man. I’m sick and tired of Peggy’s people using her GENDER as a selling point. I’m a female CD-7 voter and I have received no less than *seven* advertisements from “Colorado Women Vote!,” which is a front organization run by Emily’s List. Every one of these pieces sells ONLY the fact that Peggy is a woman.

      Yeah, she’s a woman alright. A woman who endorsed an anti-choice Republican governor who wants to deny me my right to emergency contraception.

      Her gender does not matter.

  3. When I first heard the news I assumed it was part of Udall’s inevitable march “to the middle” that he will take in his effort to become a US Senator in 2 years.

    Let’s face it, between Lamm and Perlmutter, Lamm is easily recognized as the more “left-leaning” depsite Perlmutter’s ads. Maybe Udall even thinks that a center-slightly-right candidate is what it takes to win CD7. I would disagree on that last point, but I can easily see him making this decision looking thru his “Senate candidate” glasses.

    So I am surprised only in that he made an endorsement at all. The race is SOOOOO contentious, it may have been the better part of valor to stay out of it.

    1. Does she have such a strong, passionately loyal following that their opposition would cause many problems for Udall in 2008?

      Does he win points for having the courage to take a position and show some leadership?

      Do Ed’s backers have more money than Lamm’s? Is Udall making a pitch for their support in the crucial money primary in 2008?

      Is Udall politically savvy, or not?

      1. My thought-line was thinking more of the unaffiliateds and the only-slightly-right Republicans. I would hope that Ed & Peggy’s backers would all support the Dem candidate for US Senator regardless of who he endorsed in this race.

      1. we had Salazar as the VP candidate in ’08…  and Ritter as Gov. (of course).  Would that mean Ritter could nominate a replacment to finish out Salazar’s term? 

        1. Ritter would make an appointment and that person would serve until 2010 (next general election) and would have to be re-elected at that time (or not). Then that person would be up for re-election again in 2012, the actual end of the term.

          If Salazar quit early in 2008, then the appointed person would be up for re-election in Nov. 2008, then again in 2012.

  4. Screwed Udall last time.  Rutt is the power and only real money behind Lamm.

    No sympathy there.

    Mark can also read the hand writing on the wall and so can the DCCC.

    This was not done casually.

    Where’s Dandy Don when you need him:

    Turn out the lights, the party’s over…….

    1. The truth is it doesn’t matter who endorses Ed Perlmutter.  He’s got all the big endorsements and he’s still down in the polls.  It hasn’t hurt Lamm thus far and I doubt it will hurt her this time.  The question is what will this do to Udall’s senate campaign.  The ramifications for Udall are much greater than those for the race in the seventh…

      1. the endorsement.  If Udall is willing to do an ad for Perlmutter, this could be big.  Much of the 7th used to be in the 2nd and Udall is universally loved by those he represents and used to represent.

        If it is just a press release then (*yawn*), so what….

    2. What handwriting would that be Roger?  Celinda Lake’s?  You know the polling and so does the DCCC.  Lamm’s the only one who can beat O’Donnell.

  5. In no way have Lamm supporters been able to answer that the public thinks Peggy is the other “Lamm”. Additionally, from the very beginning of the CD-7 primary, everyone has known that Ed was the horse to beat. When they first created the district, speculation was rampant that the district was created specifically for Ed.

    I think this primary is good because it gives Ed a good test-run before the big election. Lamm supporters have to realize that Ed is the guy who will take this seat. With the Udall endorsement, Ed should have all of the rest of the Dems in the state lined up. The question is if they think he is a shoe-in and doesn’t need any bigger endorsements, e.g. the Salazars in D.C.

    1. “everyone has known that Ed was the horse to beat”

      “Lamm supporters have to realize that Ed is the guy who will take this seat”

      If there’s any candidate that’s vulnerable in this race it’s Ed.  His own pollster came to that conclusion, right before she was fired.  Ed can’t beat Rick in the general and Peggy can.  Perlmutter supporters should tune in to Ed’s own polling and realize that Peggy is the only one who can beat Rick in the general.

      1. I support Peggy and will be voting for her next Tuesday in the primary.  I believe that she is the strongest candidate to go against Rick O’Donnell. 

        I do not however, believe for one minute that Ed Perlmutter could not beat O’Donnell.

        Either Peggy or Ed will make short order of Rick “taking care of the elderly is for wimps” O’Donnell.

        1. I think Peggy is easily the stronger candidate to beat O’Donnell.

          That’s not to say that Ed can’t win, but a race between him and O’Donnell (who in my mind is still unelectable because of the Social Security issue) is much closer by virtue of the thing we’ve all seen firsthand this week:  the longer the voting record, the more suspectible you are to attack.

          Neither candidate will a cakewalk over O’Donnell, but Ed’s vulnerabilities are far more extreme in a general election setting than Peggy’s. 

          Don’t think for a second that the hits on Ed’s record in the past couple days were news to O’Donnell’s crew.  They’ve been licking their chops over that kind of stuff, and likely many other votes, because Perlmutter presents a more target rich environment by virtue of the fact that he has eight years of voting compared to two.

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Gabe Evans
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

309 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!