Announcing his candidacy last week to represent Teller County in the 7th Congressional District, Carl Andersen was emotional and forceful about his platform as a conservative Republican.

With the recent congressional redistricting, Teller County moved from the 5th to the 7th Congressional District, which is held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter.

Perlmutter, 68, of Arvada, this month announced he is retiring after next year’s election rather than seek a ninth term.

Andersen made his announcement Jan. 26 to a small group of friends, family and the Teller County Board of County Commissioners. “In my lifetime, I have seen the Constitution and our Bill of Rights discredited. Our Constitution has been weakened in far too many instances,” he said. “There is one amendment that stands between us and tyranny and that’s the Second Amendment.”

The nation’s Founding Fathers gave the country the Second Amendment to allow Americans to protect themselves from foreign and domestic threats, he said. “Thomas Jefferson once said that ‘when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.'”

Executive orders and mandates are being abused and circumvent the legislative process, he added. “The next executive order might just be to repeal the Second Amendment,” he said “I will not allow that to happen.”

If elected, Andersen said he would work to close the southern border to illegal immigration. In addition, Andersen vowed to offer students the choice of what schools to attend.

“Across American and Colorado, people are fleeing government-run schools because of indoctrination, not education that our students need,” he said. “I know that these are not federally-controlled schools in Colorado but they are on the way. And if we do nothing, kids in our country will suffer the consequences.”

It’s vital that the country work together, he said, to fix the problems he has addressed.

Andersen’s announcement drew a round of applause from the small crowd gathered outside the offices of Andersen Enterprises in Woodland Park.

Teller County Assessor Colt Simmons introduced Andersen, praising his ability to lead, highlighting his role as vice chairman of Teller County Republicans and member of Ute Pass Kiwanis and the Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce.

Andersen has won awards and certificates for his businesses, said Army veteran Keith McKim of Florissant. “Carl is a patriotic freedom fighter who stands up for all Americans and their businesses. He has a new vision to save the country we all love.”

Andersen was accompanied by his wife, Shannon, his son, C.J., and his grandchildren.

The announcement concluded with a reception inside.

Colorado’s 7th Congressional District encompasses the northern and western suburbs of the Denver Metro region spanning the north half of Jefferson County and the west half of Adams County.

Perlmutter is the first member of Colorado’s delegation to retire voluntarily from Congress without at the same time seeking higher office since Republican U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley, who stepped down after 10 terms representing the Colorado Springs-based 5th Congressional District in 2006, the same year Perlmutter won election to the House.

Colorado Politics reporter Ernest Luning contributed to this report.