BOULDER COUNTY — Mark Williams, , has announced he is running for the 2nd Congressional District seat up for election next year.
“I’m not a career politician. I’m a public servant and a patriot,” Williams said in a news release. “I’ll fight for ordinary folks and the dream called ‘America.'”
Williams, who said he has lived in Boulder County for more than 25 years, is a retired combat veteran, having served as a U.S. Air Force pilot, intelligence officer and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps instructor. He is vying to replace , who is leaving the seat .
Lafayette , a former University of Colorado regent and former executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, and Loveland Democrat Howard Dotson also are announced candidates for the post.
As of Thursday, the Federal Election Commission’s website did not identify any Republicans as having filed their candidacy papers for the seat.
The left-leaning seat includes all of Boulder and Larimer counties and all or parts of Broomfield, Clear Creek, Eagle, Gilpin, Grand, Jefferson, Park and Summit counties. Neguse has endorsements from a big swath of the Colorado Democratic Party’s top names, but the inclusion of Williams and Dotson in the race — — could set up a busier-than-expected primary.
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Denver Post staff writer Jesse Paul contributed to this report.