Former state Sen. Ed Perlmutter on Tuesday accused Democratic primary opponent Peggy Lamm of siding with the Republican gun lobby and supporting GOP Gov. Bill Owens.
Perlmutter made the accusations in a new television ad and in a heated radio debate with Lamm and the third Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District, Herbert Rubenstein.
In the ad, Perlmutter claimed Lamm endorsed Owens and pointed to a past vote she made in the legislature against banning armor-piercing bullets.
“Siding with Republicans and the gun lobby. … That’s the real Peggy Lamm,” the advertisement states.
Lamm disputed both assertions.
“Whether it is protecting a woman’s right to choose or protecting public education from vouchers, I’ll stand by my Democratic record and values any day of the week,” said Lamm, adding that she supports police and never endorsed Owens.
The ad hit the airwaves just before Lamm, Perlmutter and darkhorse candidate Rubenstein faced each other in a round-table discussion Tuesday morning on a radio talk show. The winner of the Aug. 8 primary will face Republican Rick O’Donnell.
Lamm said her record in the legislature was similar to Perl mutter’s and accused him of being “the darling” of the oil and gas industry.
Meanwhile, Rubenstein will be the only candidate for office in the state distinguished by a term-limit pledge on the election ballot, according to the secretary of state’s office. The Congressional Term Limits Declaration Act of 1998 allows candidates to proclaim that pledge on the ballot, but few have since done so, election officials said.
Democratic party leaders said they doubt the pledge of limiting himself to three two-year terms will help Rubenstein.
“I just haven’t heard that term limits is one of the things that voters are concerned about,” Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak said.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-820-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com.
