Billed by his campaign Thursday as an “Obama alum,” Levi Tillemann said he would formally kickoff his campaign Sunday at 6 p.m. at Megenagna Ethiopian Restaurant in Aurora. The event is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“This isn’t about me” Tillemann said in a statement Thursday. “This is about the future of our communities, our state and our country so I wanted to make sure my neighbors were on board.”

“What I heard is that Coloradans want a candidate who will fight for progressive values. They want a candidate who will bring the jobs of today and the jobs of the future to our district. They want a candidate who cares about the issues they care about – healthcare for families and protecting the environment.”

Colorado Politics’ Ernest Luning was the first to report in May that Tillemann was considering the race. Luning reported last week that Tillemann would run.

Tillmann joins a field of political newcomers that includes two local lawyers, Jason Crow and David Aarestad, as well as Littleton resident Gabriel McArthur.

Tillemann, 35, is a former Obama administration energy policy adviser and and the inventor and developer of the high-efficiency IRIS Engine for vehicles. He is author and a contributor to The New Yorker, Slate, Fortune and other publications, his campaign said He is the managing partner at the tech consulting company Valence Strategic.

He brings a family name to the race. He is the son of the late Timber Dick, a well-known Denver businessman and inventor, and the grandson of Nancy Dick, the state’s first lieutenant governor. His maternal grandfather, the late Tom Lantos, was only Holocaust survivor to serve in the U.S. Congress.

“Combating Donald Trump’s far right-wing agenda is the urgent mission of our time,” he stated in his announcement. “We need to stand up and fight for our values and the kind of community, country and world we want to leave to our children. That fight starts right here and now by taking back Colorado’s 6th Congressional District and the U.S. House in 2018.”