Republican Erik Aadland is withdrawing from Colorado’s U.S. Senate race on Monday and plans to instead challenge U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter’s bid for a ninth term in the 7th Congressional District, Colorado Politics has learned.

The first-time candidate, who has struggled to raise money and stand out in a crowded Senate primary field, said he decided to make the move after an independent commission created a more competitive 7th CD in the once-a-decade redistricting process completed this fall.

Aadland’s departure leaves seven Republicans running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is seeking a third full term. He joins unsuccessful legislative candidate Laurel Imer, an outspoken supporter of former president Donald Trump, in the congressional primary.

“Though it was a very difficult decision after investing significant time, money and effort into the U.S. Senate race, I am motivated by duty and a desire to be of service, and after much prayer and reflection, this is the clearer path to accomplish that end,” Aadland said in a statement.

Added Aadland: “I am not running for office to serve my own ends – I’m not a career politician. There is a fight for integrity, accountability, transparency and virtue in the U.S. House of Representatives, and this seat represents the primary line of defense against the tide of socialism that we’ve seen under the Biden administration and Ed Perlmutter.”

A decorated Army combat veteran and graduate of West Point Military Academy, Aadland worked as an executive in the oil and gas industry before launching his Senate campaign in June, just months after changing his voter registration from unaffiliated to Republican.

Through September, Aadland’s Senate campaign reported raising about $73,000 on top of the $112,000 he loaned his campaign. He finished the quarter with about $82,000 cash on hand. Under Federal Election Commission rules, he can shift funds raised for his Senate run to a congressional campaign. 

Over the same period, Imer reported raising about $36,000 and had about $9,000 on hand at the end of the quarter.

Perlmutter started the cycle with just over $1 million left over from his previous campaigns. He finished the third quarter with $993,000 in the bank after raising $385,000 in the most recent quarter.

The year’s fourth fundraising quarter ends at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

National Republicans have been hyping Perlmutter’s potential vulnerability in the redrawn, Democratic-leaning district for most of the year, including adding Perlmutter’s name to a list of incumbents the House GOP’s campaign arm is attempting to nudge toward retirement.

Like under its current boundaries, the redrawn 7th CD includes most of Jefferson County but adds Broomfield and swaps the densely populated suburbs of western Adams County for six mountain counties, stretching from the west side of the Denver metro area south past Cañon City. Democrats have out-performed Republicans in the new district by an average 6.9 points in recent elections, according an analysis performed by the redistricting commission.

Perlmutter, an attorney and former state lawmaker, was first elected to the U.S. House in 2006 and has won re-election by double digit margins every time since. Republican nominee Mark Barrington lost to Perlmutter in 2018 by 25 points, and Republican Casper Stockham lost by nearly 22 points last year.

Aadland and Imer have both been endorsed by former Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, who represented much of Jefferson County for five terms and ran three times for governor.

The primary election is June 28.