When U.S. Congressman Mark Udall stood next to Ed Perlmutter on Monday and endorsed his campaign for Congress, Udall did what politicians typically try to avoid.
He took a stance in a divisive, closely fought primary battle.
Perlmutter, a former state senator, is locked in a tight, three-way Democratic primary with former state Rep. Peggy Lamm and Herb Rubenstein, an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Colorado State University.
Udall, who is expected to run for the U.S. Senate in 2008, risks angering Lamm’s supporters, potentially complicating his future statewide race.
“It’s not standard operating procedure,” Udall acknowledged of his endorsement.
But he said in this case, the two men have a 10-year bond stretching back to their days in the legislature.
The endorsement came at a critical juncture, in the last full week left in the primary, which will be decided Aug. 8. It underscored how competitive the 7th District race has become between Perlmutter and Lamm, considered the front-runners in the primary.
Over the weekend, Perlmutter gave $60,000 of his own money to his campaign, bolstering the more than $1 million he’s raised. Meanwhile, Lamm unleashed another television commercial, one that blasted Perlmutter for voting against legislation lifting the 10-year statute of limitations on some sexual assaults.
Perlmutter will need all the help he can get to chip away at Lamm’s high name recognition. She was married to Tom Lamm, the brother of former Gov. Dick Lamm. The couple divorced in 2003.
Udall said he believes Perlmutter is the best candidate to help make America independent of foreign energy sources.
He cited Perlmutter’s work as a trustee of the Midwest Research Institute, which runs the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden.
There were other factors at play as well. The two worked in the legislature together. Perl mutter also campaigned for Udall when Udall ran for Congress in 1998.
Udall said that after he ascended to a congressional seat, Perlmutter played a major role in the redistricting plan that protected Udall’s seat.
“That was a very hard-fought battle,” Udall said Monday.
Udall chief of staff Alan Salazar also has been the general chairman of Perlmutter’s congressional campaign.
The endorsement emphasized the differences between Lamm and Perlmutter, said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli.
“Perlmutter is the man of endorsements,” Ciruli said. “He’s got the vast majority of them. She has the great last name.”
Staff writer Christopher N. Osher can be reached at 303-820-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com.
