Moderate Perlmutter Latest House Member to Announce Retirement

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition who championed renewable energy and the completion of the VA Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado, said Monday he will retire from Congress after his current term.

With his announcement, Perlmutter becomes the 26th Democrat to announce he won’t seek reelection in what is anticipated to be a bruising mid-term election in 2022. Eleven Republicans have also announced their retirement.

Of these members, six Democrats and five Republicans have announced their intention to run for the U.S. Senate or governor of their home states.

Perlmutter isn’t one of them. In a statement posted to Twitter, he said simply, “There comes a time when you pass the torch to the next generation of leaders.” 

“I’m deeply gratified that our bench in the 7th District is deep and fortunately we have a strong group of leaders who are ready and able to take up that torch,” he said, adding, he’s “never shied away from a challenge but it’s time for me to move on and explore other opportunities.”

Like many of his colleagues, Perlmutter’s announcement followed the adoption of new congressional maps in his state.

Though still solidly Democratic, the party’s advantage in Perlmutter’s 7th Congressional District has gone from 15 points to six points, according to FiveThirtyEight, the political analysis website. 

In a written statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Perlmutter “a relentless advocate for his state’s top priorities.”

“As chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions, he has worked tirelessly to protect our financial system and expand economic opportunity,” she continued. “With his House-passed SAFE Act, he has led the charge to provide safe harbor to banks that serve licensed cannabis-related businesses.  

“And, in the wake of the tragic Aurora shooting, he has also offered a fierce voice for common sense gun violence prevention, serving as vice-chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force,” she said. 

“We know he will make a great contribution to the Congress in his final year,” Pelosi concluded. “When he retires at the end of his term, our caucus and the Congress will miss Rep. Perlmutter’s passion for policymaking and commitment to compromise.”

Among those seen as possible contenders for  Perlmutter’s seats are Democratic State Sen. Brittany Petersen, who considered running for it in 2017, and Republican State Rep. Colin Larson.

Other possible contenders include former State Democratic Sen. Andy Keer and Republicans Eric Aadlaand and Laurel Ilmer.

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