Republican Erik Aadland switches candidacy from Senate to Perlmutter’s House seat

Erik Aadland is dropping out of Colorado’s U.S. Senate race in order to run for the state’s 7th Congressional District next year, the Republican announced Monday morning.

“Though it was a very difficult decision after investing significant time, money and effort into the U.S. Senate race, I am motivated by duty and a desire to be of service, and after much prayer and reflection, this is the clearer path to accomplish that end,” the Jefferson County Republican said in a press release. 

He said that recent redistricting made the 7th District more competitive for a Republican to win. An analysis of recent election results from redistricting commission staff shows the redrawn district with a 6.9 percent Democratic advantage. 

In 2020, current Rep. Ed Perlmutter beat his Republican opponent by 21.5 percentage points to win his eighth term in office. 

Aadland, a first-time candidate and Army veteran, was one of nine GOP candidates who have filed to unseat Sen. Michael Bennet next year. At the start of October, Aadland had raised over $70,000 — combined with a $112,000 loan he made to the campaign — and had approximately $82,000 in cash on hand.  

Perlmutter reported finishing the third quarter with $1 million in his campaign bank account. 

When he switches his candidacy and files to run in the 7th District, he will join Laurel Imer in the Republican congressional primary.   

Aadland said that the seat represents “the primary line of defense against the tide of socialism that we’ve seen under the Biden Administration and Ed Perlmutter.”

The primary election is June 28.