Former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D) on Tuesday reaffirmed his interest in serving in the Senate and sharpened some of the themes of his populist-tinged campaign for the seat of incumbent Michael Bennet (D).

Romanoff on Tuesday held a press conference in part to say that he is supporting Denver mayor John Hickenlooper (D) for governor and not entering the race himself, as some of his supporters hoped. But the bulk of his remarks centered on demanding leadership in Washington, D.C., and denouncing politicians and “special interest” groups for indifference to a host of problems facing the country.

Romanoff told CQ Politics that in recent months he’s seen “a real frustration with a political system, a political culture that does not fulfill our expectations as Americans or serve our interests well.”