CO-02, CO-Gov: On Tuesday, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Executive Director Joe Neguse, who narrowly lost the 2014 race for secretary of state, jumped into the Democratic primary for the open and reliably blue 2nd Congressional District. Neguse, who reportedly was considering running for governor a few months ago, also announced that he was resigning from his current post.
Neguse ran a credible statewide campaign in 2014, and he should have the resources to run a competitive race for this Boulder-area seat. Neguse entered the race with endorsements from Summit County Commissioner Dan Gibbs and state Sen. Stephen Fenberg, both of whom had been mentioned as possible candidates to succeed gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis. Neguse’s parents came to the United States as refugees from Eritrea; if Neguse wins this contest, he will be the first Eritrean-American member of Congress, as well as Colorado’s first black member of Congress.
Several other notable Democrats are also eyeing this district, which also includes Fort Collins. Shaun McGrath, who served as the regional Environmental Protection Agency administrator until Trump took office and previously was deputy director for the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, said on Tuesday that he expects to decide “next few days or so.” McGrath was also a Boulder city councilor from 2003 to 2009, and he spent the final 18 months of his tenure as mayor. Two prominent gun-safety advocates, Ken Toltz and Shannon Watts, have also expressed interest in running, and other local Democrats may be eyeing this seat.
Clinton carried this seat 56-35, and it’s tough to see the GOP winning it anytime soon. However, several non-Some Dude Republicans have expressed interest in running here. Ex-Fort Collins Councilor Gino Campana, ex-state House Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, and ex-state Rep. B.J. Nikkel all tell the Coloradoan that they’re considering.