The father of an Aurora theater shooting victim is considering whether to announce next week that he’s challenging state Sen. Jack Tate, R-Centennial, who was appointed to his seat in December, The Colorado Statesman has learned.

Tom Sullivan, a retired postal worker and registered Democrat, has campaigned for gun control and death penalty reform since his son Alex was killed while he celebrated his 27th birthday and first wedding anniversary in a shooting rampage that left 12 dead and injured 70.

“Until this tragic event, my wife and I and enjoyed a middle class life in Centennial,” Sullivan wrote in a release sent by email Friday morning. “We raised two children on our salaries, got them through college, and then the Aurora shooting changed our world.”

Since his son’s death — “many of you know me as ‘the father of Alex,’” he wrote — Sullivan noted that he has “spent many hours at our Capitol, lobbying and seeing how our lawmakers do their jobs on gun violence, education, and economic growth — all of the issues at the core of the American Dream. This dream has been shattered for many working families in Colorado. I want to help restore it.”

Sullivan said he would be making a “very special announcement” and outline his “plan to lead the effort” at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Silo Park in Greenwood Village.

Democratic officials said Sullivan was all but committed to running for the heavily Republican seat, but Friday afternoon was still weighing his options.

As he pointed out in his release, Sullivan is no stranger to the state Capitol, having testified numerous times in favor of gun control legislation and against efforts to loosen gun control.

In February 2014, Sullivan told lawmakers he was opposed to an effort to repeal a law that banned high-capacity magazines: “I’ve had a lot of thoughts since July 20, 2012, and I can tell you that I never have once thought that it was better that that man walked into that theater with a 100-round drum, and opened fire on the over 200 people that were in that theater.”

Earlier this month, Sullivan testified in favor of a bill sponsored by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, that would have made it easier for juries to impose the death penalty. (An Arapahoe County jury in August convicted James Holmes in the theater shooting but couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict to impose the death penalty, so the jury sentenced him to life without parole.)

Sullivan was sworn in as a member of the Colorado AFL-CIO Executive Board in May.

Tate, a former state representative, was appointed by a Republican vacancy committee to the Senate District 27 seat in December following the resignation of state Sen. David Balmer, R-Centennial, who was serving his second term. Another Republican vacancy committee in January appointed Cole Wist to serve the remainder of Tate’s House District 37 term.

Through the end of December, Tate had raised $31,911 and had the same amount on hand, reporting no expenditures, according to campaign finance reports.

It’s a storied senate district, having been represented by former Gov. Bill Owens, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman and former Senate Minority Leader John Andrews, all Republicans, over the years. According to the most recent voter registration statistics, SD 27 has 37.8 percent active registered Republicans, 28 percent active registered Democrats and 33.1 percent active unaffiliated voters. The district encompasses most of Centennial and a portion of the small town of Foxfield.

— ernest@coloradostatesman.com