Jason Crow endorses Democrats up and down Colorado’s ballot, chips in $100K for campaign efforts
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jason Crow on Tuesday formally endorsed more than 60 Democrats running up and down Colorado’s ballot and said he’s putting $100,000 into statewide and county campaigns and organizing programs to drive turnout in the fall election.
Crow, who is seeking reelection to a fifth term representing the Aurora-based 6th Congressional District, said that he plans to continue campaigning with fellow Democrats throughout the state in the next two months.
“In every corner of our state, great candidates are stepping up to serve and make Colorado an even better place to live,” he said in a statement. “I’m proud to endorse these candidates running all across Colorado — in Durango, Pueblo, Loveland, Aurora and everywhere in between — because together, we can keep our communities safe and make government work better for Coloradans.”
While he’s been making campaign stops with them since the June 30 primary, Crow made his endorsements official for Attorney General Phil Weiser, the gubernatorial nominee, and Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who is running to take Weiser’s place as attorney general. He’s also throwing support behind state Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, the state treasurer nominee, and Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez, the party’s candidate for Secretary of State.
He’s also backing Melat Kiros, the Denver Democrat who unseated 15-term U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in the heavily Democratic 1st Congressional District in the primary.
Others on Crow’s list of 66 endorsements unveiled Tuesday include University of Colorado Regent Ilana Spiegel and candidates for county offices in Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Chaffee, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Grand, Larimer and Pueblo counties. Legislative candidates dot the map from the metro area to Routt and Weld counties, Alamosa, Montrose and Cañon City.
Along with the fellow members of the state’s Democratic congressional delegation, Crow supported U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in the primary for governor but quickly endorsed Weiser following his win, as did Bennet.
Crow’s campaign said he’s putting $50,000 into the state Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign program, as well as $20,000 into the Colorado County Comeback, a grant program to boost organizing in 20 counties. He’s also giving $20,000 in direct contributions to candidates he’s endorsing for state and local office and $10,000 to local county parties.
Crow’s move is similar to one made a year ago by U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, who is seeking a second term. Hickenlooper gave $100,000 to the state party’s federal committee and other Democratic recipients in the state.
The suburban district Crow represents was once considered the state’s battleground congressional seat, but after the Democrat unseated six-term U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman in the 2018 midterms, it’s moved out of competitive territory.
In an earlier interview, Crow told Colorado Politics that he planned to put substantial funds into the party’s candidates and campaigns in what was already shaping up to be a wave year for Democrats.
“I’m going to be going everywhere, talking to everybody, supporting our candidates up and down the ballot,” he said, adding that he’s “always taken a ‘rising water raises all boats’ approach” to politics.
“We’re going to make investments in rural counties and rural parties, in places where we haven’t made investments in the past,” he said. “We’re going to show up, we’re going to make the case, and, you know, we’re going to just talk with folks.”
Through June 30, Crow reported raising nearly $3.2 million since the last election, when he defeated a Republican challenger by more than 20 percentage points. The Republicans running for the seat this year have raised only a tiny fraction of that total, and earlier this summer replaced the party’s original candidate, Mel Tewahade, with perennial hopeful Jason Clark, who has yet to file a campaign finance report. Congressional candidates are set to report their contributions and expenditures through the end of September by Oct. 15.

