Democrats seized upon word Republican Tom Tancredo was withdrawing Tuesday from Colorado’s gubernatorial race to declare the election unwinnable for any Republican – while taking the opportunity to lash the controversial former congressman and his platform to the remaining field of GOP primary contenders.

“Even former front-runner Tom Tancredo knows there is no path to victory for Trump-style politics in Colorado,” said Eric Walker, a spokesman for the Colorado Democrats, in a statement.

“Tancredo might not be on the ballot, but his ideas will be. Robbing the middle class to reward the rich, ripping health care away from hardworking Coloradans, and attacking immigrants and communities of color are still the guiding principles of the Colorado Republican Party. There are simply no moderates left in the Colorado GOP, and whichever right-wing candidate emerges from their primary will be way too far to the extreme right fringe for Colorado voters.”

Tancredo told Colorado Politics he was ending his campaign – his third for governor – because he hadn’t been able to raise as much money as he believed he’d need to take on a well-funded Democratic opponent. After jumping in the crowded primary three months ago, he raised just under $75,000 though the end of the year – half what he said it would take at this point to be able to fend off anticipated general-election attacks.

While Tancredo said he believes a sufficiently conservative nominee with enough money might be able to bring down Democratic candidate U.S. Rep. Jared Polis – one of the wealthiest members of Congress, he’s spent nearly $1.4 million on his own campaign so far – he didn’t sound optimistic.

“Tancredo is out but his right-wing ideology remains,” said Polis campaign spokeswoman Mara Sheldon in a statement. “He has pulled the party’s candidates to the right, and the entire Republican field still supports Donald Trump and his radical agenda.”

Days after Tancredo got in the race, Polis launched a website attacking the Republican while linking him to Trump, whose popularity is underwater in Colorado, according to recent polling.

A spokeswoman for former State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, one of four other leading Democrats in the race, said she believes Tancredo influence will remain even if he’s left the race.

“This might be the end of Tancredo’s candidacy, but it is not the last we’ve heard of his far-right values. The Republican field is swinging to the right to woo their base and Colorado voters do not have the stomach for cynical and divisive values like privatizing PERA and stripping Coloradans of their health care,” said Serena Woods.

State Treasurer Walker Stapleton, the likely GOP front-runner following Tancredo’s departure from the primary, bid Tancredo a friendly farewell.

“I wish Tom the best and we are going to continue to keep our head down and work hard to earn the support of Colorado Republicans,” Stapleton said via a spokesman.

Another leading Republican candidate, Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, embraced one of Tancredo’s more outspoken positions in a statement posted to Twitter, pointing to his criticism of so-called sanctuary cities.

“I’m grateful to Tom Tancredo for highlighting issues that don’t always get the attention they deserve, particularly educating the public on the dangers of unchecked and unaccountable sanctuary cities,” Coffman said. “Tom’s unique voice has been crucial in the debate over issues important to many Coloradans. He has a genuine concern for his state and is a steadfast champion of individual rights. I wish Tom all the best as he looks ahead to his next venture.”

Since his five terms in Congress and a brief presidential campaign devoted to the topic, Tancredo has enjoyed a reputation as one the country’s most vocal critics of illegal immigration, years before Trump made the issue a centerpiece of his presidential campaign.