July 24, 2012 07:02 PM UTC

Diana DeGette Wades into Primary Skirmish...in Michigan

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• by: Colorado Pols

By virtue of her incredibly safe district, Congresswoman Diana DeGette doesn’t have to spend much time campaigning for her own reelection this year — or, for that matter, interacting with her constituents. That doesn’t mean that the Denver Democrat gets off easy, though.

After all, DeGette last week endorsed Trevor Thomas, an “an openly gay, pro-choice, pro-environment progressive” running for the Democratic nomination in Michigan’s 3rd district.

From the aptly named “Trevor for Congress” campaign:

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) spoke out in favor of Congressional candidate Trevor Thomas (MI-3) in an email ahead of his August 7th Democratic Primary against anti-choice opponent Steve Pestka.

“Trevor’s opponent voted to de-fund Planned Parenthood and he doesn’t even believe in abortion rights in such extreme cases as rape or incest,” said U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, co-chair of the U.S. House Pro-Choice Caucus. “And with House Republicans waging a war against women’s rights, we need as many pro-choice Democrats as we can get. Trevor is the only candidate in the race that holds Democratic values we share.”

DeGette doesn’t wield a whole lot of regional clout — though she is, of course, all too happy to stress that she’s the “dean of the Colorado delegation” — but she is one of the loudest voices in the House on reproductive rights. Pro-choice public policy has always been her signature issue, and there’s no doubt DeGette is itching to take back the House in order to continue her defense of women’s rights.

So, while it may appear strange at first blush for DeGette to make an endorsement in a Congressional district 1200 miles away from her own, given the fact that Thomas’ primary opponent voted to defund Planned Parenthood and has a 100% rating from Right to Life Michigan, DeGette’s profile as one of the most vehemently pro-choice members of Congress might actually help the Thomas campaign.

Nobody in Michigan, of course, has ever heard of Diana DeGette. But her entree into the primary there brings with it additional money and outside attention.

And hey, watching someone else’s primary unfold probably cuts through the nauseating boredom DeGette no doubt endures after nine terms in Congress.