U.S. Senate candidate Dan Baer suspended his campaign Thursday and endorsed rival candidate John Hicknelooper. He’s the third Democrat to drop out of the primary since Hickenlooper, the former governor, entered the race last month.
“We are in this together. The fight for progress goes on,” Baer said in a video released by the campaign. In a statement, he described Hickenlooper as “the candidate who will beat (Republican U.S. Sen.) Cory Gardner next November.”
Baer is a former diplomat and was appointed by Hickenlooper to be executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education in 2018. Openly gay, he was one of the most prolific fundraisers in the Democratic primary field, collecting $1.35 million during his first fundraising quarter.
Candidate John Walsh dropped out of the race Wednesday, and Mike Johnston did so last week. Their exits show the ripple effects of the entrance of one of the state’s most recognized political names to the race.
“… This campaign has been a joyful expression of values,” Baer said in his video. “Our country is ready for a new, diverse generation of leaders … and I commit to help elect new voices in 2020.”
The primary still has a large field, including several candidates who said they would remain in the race despite Hickenlooper.