Republican congressional candidate Erik Aadland won a formal endorsement on Monday from former U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, who called the Army veteran “exactly who we need to bridge the divides and fight for our values.”

A former project manager for an oil and gas company and first-time candidate from Pine, Aadland is running against state Sen. Brittany Pettersen, a Lakewood Democrat, in the open, Democratic-leaning 7th Congressional District, which covers Broomfield, most of Jefferson County and mountain counties stretching south past Cañon City.

The seat has been represented since 2007 by Democrat Ed Perlmutter, who announced earlier this year that he isn’t seeking another term.

“The people of Colorado deserve a battle-tested leader who will listen and fight for them. That’s why I’ve endorsed Erik Aadland for Congress,” Gardner, the Yuma Republican who served two terms in the U.S. House and one term in the U.S. Senate, said in a statement.

“Erik is a man of principle who has lived by a core set of values his whole life,” Gardner continued. “He was born into a military family, graduated from West Point, fought for America in the War Against Terrorism, and now he’s running to serve our great nation in Washington. A warrior like him is exactly who we need to bridge the divides and fight for our values. We need to get America back on track and it starts by electing Erik Aadland.”

The National Republican Congressional Committee last week named Aadland to its “Young Guns” program for candidates in competitive districts who meet fundraising and organizational goals.

Aadland said in a release that he will “strive to emulate” Gardner’s example, adding that he was “honored” and “humbled” to have his support.

A spokesman for Pettersen’s campaign questioned the value of Gardner’s endorsement in a statement to Colorado Politics.

“It’s no surprise Sen. Gardner, who voted for the Supreme Court majority that dismantled Roe v. Wade would endorse MAGA Republican Erik Aadland, who applauded the decision to strip away the rights of women to choose if and when to start a family,” Pettersen campaign manger Mark Hatton said in a text message. “Coloradans overwhelmingly rejected Cory Gardner and they will do the same to Aadland and his extreme agenda in November.”

Gardner lost his bid for a second Senate term two years ago to Democrat John Hickenlooper. Last summer, Gardner joined Michael Best Strategies, a lobbying firm run by former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, and earlier this year he signed on as chief political strategist for the Crypto Council for Innovation, a cryptocurrency trade group.