Former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, former state Rep. Joe Salazar and community leader Nita Gonzales are among a group of endorsers announced Monday by Democratic congressional candidate Charles “Chaz” Tedesco, an Adams County commissioner and former union president.

Tedesco is one of three Democrats seeking the nomination in Colorado’s new battleground 8th Congressional District, which stretches from Adams County suburbs north of Denver to Greeley in Weld County. The state gained an additional congressional district ahead of next year’s election as part of the once-a-decade redistricting process.

“Chaz is a good friend, a great candidate and a genuine public servant,” Romanoff, who has run twice for the U.S. Senate and once for an Aurora-based congressional seat in the last dozen years, said in a statement. “Colorado’s working families won’t find a more faithful ally in Congress.”

Salazar, a candidate in Senate District 24, an open Adams County-based seat, called Tedesco a “champion of principled leadership” in a statement released by Tedesco’s campaign.

“A Navy veteran and steelworker, Chaz lives the life of Colorado’s working families and will take their perspective to Congress,” Salazar said.

Gonzales, a community activist and daughter of civil rights icon Corky Gonzales, credited Tedesco for decades of leadership in the community.

“His leadership on behalf of working families reflects his dedication to improving the foster care system, providing effective services for our underserved communities and building physical and systemic infrastructure to improve the lives of all in our community,” she said.

The two other Democrats running in the district are state Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a Thornton pediatrician, and Johnny Humphrey, a consultant for a Denver-based LGBTQ+ nonprofit who lives in Northglenn.

Four Republicans are campaigning for the seat: state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine, first-time candidate Giulianna “Jewels” Gray and Ryan Gonzalez, a business owner who briefly ran in another congressional district last year.

The 8th CD is likely to be the most competitive district in the state next year. Rated a toss-up by national election forecasters, the district’s voters have a history of tilting toward Democrats over Republicans by an average 1.3 points, according to recent benchmark elections. Democrat Joe Biden carried the district last year by a wide margin, but its voters swung toward Republican Donald Trump in 2016.

Tedesco’s campaign released more than a dozen other endorsements Monday, including former state Reps. Mike Cerbo and Joe Miklosi, both Denver Democrats; Adams County Assessor Ken Musso; Adams County Sheriff Rick Reigenborn; Arvada City Councilman Bob Fifer; Commerce City Councilman Craig Hurst; Brighton Mayor Pro Tem Matt Johnston; and Colorado Department of Transportation Commissioner Karen Stuart.

In addition, Tedesco’s endorsers include Randy Bryce, a former Wisconsin congressional candidate; Pilar Chapa, a former executive director of the Colorado Democratic Party and former state director for Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign;Gregory Boyd, a former defensive lineman with the Denver Broncos; Tom Clark, former CEO of Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.; Rudy Gonzales, executive director of Servicios de La Raza; Donna Alengi, a board member with CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties Board Member; Renee Bernhard, executive director of Foster Source; Maria Gonzalez, executive director of Adelante Community Development; Ed Knox, former president of IBEW Local 68; Eva and Manuel Tejada, Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board member; George Autobee, executive director of Rural Coloradans United; and, Eddie Soto, owner of Grassroots Organizing for Latinos.