Democrat Brittany Pettersen wins election in Colorado’s 7th Congressional District

Democratic state Sen. Brittany Pettersen will represent Colorado’s 7th Congressional District as she defeated Republican Erik Aadland Tuesday night for the district’s seat.

As of 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday night, Pettersen led with about 58% of the vote to Aadland’s 40%.

The Associated Press called the race for Pettersen at about 9 p.m.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support our campaign received across the district, the state, and the country. It’s an honor to have our broad coalition of support behind us who have stepped up to defend our democracy and reproductive freedom, to ensure that our state continues to be a place where we can live and thrive, and to increase opportunities for the next generation to build a better life,” Pettersen said in a statement following her victory.

Colorado’s 7th Congressional District includes Denver’s western suburbs and extends into Jefferson, Park, Lake, Chaffee, Teller, Fremont and Custer counties.

The seat was left open after longtime Rep. Ed Perlmutter announced that he would not seek reelection. Pettersen entered the race and quickly racked up endorsements from Colorado’s Democratic leaders and congressional representatives, including from Perlmutter. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

On the campaign trail, Pettersen touted her record as a state lawmaker and as a leader in getting the state’s Reproductive Health Equity Act signed into law, vowing that she would fight for reproductive health care rights, including the right to an abortion, at the federal level following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Aadland, a first time candidate and veteran, focused his campaign on oil and gas production and reducing government spending. He claimed, falsely, that the 2020 presidential election was rigged but walked back that belief toward the end of his campaign.

Pettersen represented House District 28 from 2013 to 2019. She was elected to represent Senate District 22 in 2019.