Citing her “unwavering” support for former President Donald Trump, state Rep. Dave Williams has formally endorsed Laurel Imer, the only Republican so far challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter in Colorado’s 7th Congressional District.

Williams, a Colorado Springs Republican serving his third term in the state House, said the results of last week’s elections in Virginia and New Jersey suggest voters are primed to oust Democrats and their agenda.

The National Republican Congressional Committee last week added Perlmutter to a list of 70 House Democrats the GOP group is targeting ahead of next year’s election, when the incumbent will be seeking a ninth term with a slightly less favorable electorate following redistricting. Perlmutter has won re-election by double-digit margins every time since winning the suburban seat in 2006.

“Laurel Imer is a true America First Republican and an unwavering supporter of President Donald Trump,” Williams said in a statement.

“With the dust still settling from the Virginia and New Jersey elections, it’s becoming increasingly clear that voters across the country are ready to reject Joe Biden and his socialist agenda, which only works to indoctrinate our kids to hate America through Critical Race Theory, endanger our communities by being soft on crime, and make groceries and goods more unaffordable as the cost of living rises.”

Added Williams: “Ed Perlmutter is a part of the problem and needs to be replaced with a public servant who will work hard to restore balance to Washington D.C. while reforming a broken system that has left hard-working Americans behind.”

The 7th CD’s current boundaries encompass the populous areas of central and northern Jefferson County and western Adams County. Under a new map drawn by an independent redistricting commission, the new district includes all of Jefferson County, along with Broomfield and six more rural counties, stretching south along the Front Range past Cañon City in central Colorado. Democratic candidates outperformed Republicans by an average 6.9 points in the newly configured district, according to an analysis of eight recent statewide elections released by the commission.

Known as one of the General Assembly’s most outspoken conservatives, Williams led the charge this summer to scrap the Colorado GOP’s 2022 primary and instead pick nominees at party assemblies. The state Republicans’ central committee shot down the proposal in September by a two-to-one margin.

Williams is the first sitting elected official to endorse Imer, who has also won endorsements from former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, who represented portions of Jefferson County during his five years in Congress, and Mark Barrington, the Republican who lost a 2018 bid to unseat Perlmutter by 25 points. Randy Corporon, Colorado’s Republican national committeeman, has also endorsed Imer.