Colorado State Sen. Brittany Pettersen has been an up-and-coming Democrat in the state for a while. In the 2018 cycle, when it looked like Rep. Ed Perlmutter was retiring, she entered a primary in the 7th district, then a safe Democratic seat. But Perlmutter changed his mind and remained in the seat, forcing Pettersen to wait. Now, Perlmutter is gone for sure, and the field has been cleared for Pettersen, who won’t face a competitive primary and has received endorsements from the state’s key Democratic figures.
She’s in her early 40s, making her young by congressional standards, and has had to work hard for what she’s got—the daughter of an addict, Pettersen was the first in her family to graduate college. But her youth doesn’t mean she lacks experience, as she’s been in the Colorado legislature for a decade, during which time she’s helped pass “red flag” gun laws and legislation aimed at pay disparities.
Blue Tent views giving to Pettersen's campaign as a priority. Below, we explore three key questions that small and medium donors should answer before supporting candidates. (See how we evaluate candidates.)
Is This Race Important?
With Congress so closely divided, every House seat is vital. Keeping the 7th Democratic would not only make it easier for Democrats to retake the House in the likely event of a Republican midterm victory, it would put someone deserving in Congress,
Can Pettersen Win?
The 7th has become more competitive in the post-Census redistricting process: The district, which formerly tightly hugged Denver, has ballooned out to the south, where it has picked up more Republican-leaning counties. FiveThirtyEight says the new district has a six-point Democratic lean; Sabato’s Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report rate this seat “likely Democratic,” meaning that it’s in play, but Democrats should win here. But the National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting the district and a whopping five candidates are running in the GOP primary, a sign that this will be a competitive race.
Does She Need Money?
In contrast to the competitive Republican primary, Democrats have closed ranks around Pettersen, which will make it easier for her to raise money—she pulled in $200,000 in the first five days of her campaign. But as of the end of March, she had just under $500,000 in cash on hand — not bad by any stretch, but much less than any Democratic incumbent has on hand. If you’re going to give to a Democratic House candidate, better that it be a relatively fresh face who needs the money rather than a deep-pocketed and famous member of Congress.
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