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Perlmutter Won’t Run for Governor or Re-Election

Campaign says Colorado congressman will make announcement today

A source said that Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., has grown tired of campaigning. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
A source said that Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., has grown tired of campaigning. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter will announce he’s ending his run for the Democratic nomination for governor and not seek re-election, sources close to the congressman told news outlets.

Perlmutter will hold a news conference on Tuesday, but his campaign told reporters only that the it would be “regarding the gubernatorial race,” the Denver Post reported.

But a source close to Perlmutter told The Associated Press that the congressman no longer enjoyed campaigning and did not want to run for re-election to his congressional seat.

The decision comes after fellow Democratic Rep. Jared Polis, a multimillionaire, announced his own gubernatorial campaign.

Both Polis and Perlmutter are part of the New Democrat Coalition in Congress, a collection of centrist Democrats and the two would likely have been competing for the same votes in a primary.

Perlmutter and Polis were running to replace term-limited Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Perlmutter launched his campaign on the premise of “building an even stronger economy and a more secure middle class with good-paying jobs, affordable higher education and a secure retirement.”

So far, three Democratic state legislators — Sens. Dominick Moreno and Andy Kerr, and Rep. Brittany Petersen — have all announced their intentions to run in Perlmutter’s district.

Perlmutter first won the seat in 2006 against his Republican opponent by 13 points in what was expected to be a tossup race. 

Along with his congressional duties, Perlmutter coaches the congressional women’s softball team since the game against members of the press started nine years ago.

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