March 24, 2012 12:22 AM UTC

Pettersen Winning Endorsement Race in HD-28

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• by: Colorado Pols

One of the benefits of running for political office after a career working as a political staffer is that many of your former bosses will likely lend their name to your campaign. Whether they’ll raise money for you or share fundraising lists is a different question entirely, but familiar names on letterhead certainly give the impression of community support.

In HD-28, Democratic candidate Brittany Pettersen seems to be taking full advantage of that perk of political work.

From her website:

I am humbly honored to have the support and endorsement of so many incredibly talented and passionate leaders in Colorado!

State Representative Max Tyler

State Representative Crisanta Duran

State Representative Daniel Pabon

State Representative Jonathan Singer

State Representative Daniel Kagan

Former State Representative Gwyn Green

Former State Representative Joel Judd

Former State Senator Chris Romer

Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb

JeffCo School Board First Vice President Paula Noonan

JeffCo School Board Secretary Jill Fellman

Colorado State Board of Education Member Jane Goff

Former Jefferson County Chair Ann Knollman

Former HD 22 Chair Mary Wylie

HD 22 State Representative Candidate Mary Parker

HD 29 State Representative Candidate Tracy Kraft-Tharp

Former President of The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver James Mejia

Not every name on that list is going to resonate in the south Jeffco district. We don’t think very many HD-28 voters will be swayed by the names of failed Denver mayoral candidates James Mejia or Chris Romer, for example, and including those names might actually might remind voters of the annoying television adds that aired last year for a race they couldn’t even vote in.

Yet other names on this list, including Max Tyler, Paula Noonan, and Jill Fellman, show that Pettersen is racking up area support among Jeffco notables. That’ll be important in the general election, of course, although nobody really expected somebody like Paula Noonan to endorse Republican Amy Attwood.

Instead, these endorsements matter most because Pettersen’s primary opponent Brian Carroll isn’t getting them. The endorsements section on his website is notably empty. That’s not to say Carroll isn’t getting any movers-and-shakers behind his campaign – he counts on support from Denver LGBT politicos like Mark Thrun, for example – but it shows that many Jeffco leaders are hesitant to endorse his run because of the primary challenge Carroll mounted against Andy Kerr before reapportionment was finalized last year.

In that vein, we’re a little surprised Kerr hasn’t endorsed Pettersen – Carroll’s former opponent should be the most wary of the veteran’s campaign for office. Kerr, however, will have to rely on the support of whoever wins the HD-28 primary in his own bid for the highly competitive SD-22, so we suspect he’s trying to avoid burning any bridges. Brian Carroll should take note.