Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, a rising star in the Democratic Party, this week endorsed 6th Congressional District candidate Jason Crow, calling the Denver attorney and Army Ranger veteran “an outspoken and results-oriented advocate for his fellow veterans in Colorado and across the country.”

Moulton, who served four tours in Iraq as a Marine, threw his support behind eight veterans in the wake of the Democrats’ loss in a special election in Georgia, arguing for a new generation of Democratic leaders.

“The American people need more service-driven leaders who are prepared to put country over party and people over politics,” Moulton said in a statement, adding, “It’s time to stop rehashing 2016 and deliver a vision for America that addresses the real challenges facing Americans in all parts of our country.”

Crow, one of three Democrats running to unseat five-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, an Aurora Republican, in the suburban battleground district, told Colorado Politics he was honored to have Moulton’s backing.

“As a veteran and progressive leader of a new generation of Democrats, he is helping craft a new playbook for 2018,” Crow said. “He understands that it is time we focused on what unites us, not divides us, and that’s something that veterans understand. You can’t go into battle as a fractured unit. You must focus on your common values and the mission at hand in order to succeed.”

Crow added that he intends to “focus on doing what’s right, not playing party politics because we simply won’t solve the dysfunction in Washington by electing the same people that got us here.”

It’s similar to the message Moulton has been delivering, including in a series of tweets after Democrat Jon Ossoff lost a run-off election by 4 points to Republican Karen Handel in Georgia’s GOP-leaning 6th Congressional District.

“#Ossof Race better be a wake up call for Democrats – business as usual isn’t working. Time to stop rehashing 2016 and talk about the future,” Moulton said in one tweet. “We need a genuinely new message, a serious jobs plan that reaches all Americans, and a bigger tent not a smaller one. Focus on the future,” he said in another.

In addition to Crow, Aurora attorney David Aarestad and Adams County activist Gabriel McArthur have declared they’re running in the Democratic primary for Coffman’s seat. Energy expert Levi Tillemann, also a Democrat, is exploring whether to run and has said he plans to decide whether to enter the race within weeks.

Moulton also endorsed Democratic congressional candidates and fellow veterans Dan McCready in North Carolina, Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, Roger Dean Huffstetler in Virginia, Joseph Kopser in Texas, Pat Ryan in New York, Ken Harbaugh in Ohio and Josh Butner in California.

– Ernest.Luning@coloradopolitics.com