Tom Tancredo needs $12.

He says so in the subject line of a mass email this week – although he actually wants you to give it to the Denver GOP.

Why raise funds for a county party that has virtually no chance of electing anyone to public office within its own lopsidedly Democratic jurisdiction? The Republican former congressman, sometime gubernatorial candidate and perennial firebrand thought you’d ask. And his explanation rings the bell on his signature issues:

Fellow Conservative,

I love Denver, Colorado. As a young man, I worked at Elitch Gardens. It’s an amazing city.

You know that. But here’s the deal, the city is being overrun.

Being overrun by radical liberals, illegal immigrants, and progressive Californians.

Will you fight back?

If we don’t put up a fight in Denver, liberals will overrun our state. No statewide candidate can win in Colorado, without winning 1 out of 4 Denver voters.

Period.

I served in Congress for a decade and ran for President – so you may wonder why I’m emailing you asking you to give money to the Denver GOP, because as Tip O’Neill said, “all politics is local.”

We can’t win the Governor’s mansion in 2018 without winning 1 out of 4 votes in Denver. Will you give us $12 right now so we can do that?

I’ve been working closely with the Chairman of the Denver County GOP. We’re putting together a plan, but we’ll need to hire a volunteer coordinator, and afford a walk and call app, so our volunteers can contact voters easiest.

Friend, I need you to give at least $12 right now.

Tom Tancredo

Same ol’ Tancredo; insert cause du jour. Sure.

But it also offers a glimpse at the GOP’s calculus for the 2018 gubernatorial race – and a reminder that a vote is a vote in a statewide election. Doesn’t matter if it comes from hostile territory.