The Post editorial: Rep. Ed Perlmutter pulled a fast one in deciding to reverse his decision not to run for re-election.
Congressman Ed Perlmutter pulled a fast one this week in deciding to reverse his decision not to run for re-election. In vowing to once again run to represent Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, the longtime Democratic lawmaker from Arvada yanked the rug out from under interesting candidates lining up to replace him, and broke his word.
Perhaps we feel overly stung by Perlmutter’s move, as we were among those singing his praises in regretful reflection last month when he said he was stepping aside.
“For nearly 20 years, Coloradans have benefited from the public service of Ed Perlmutter,” we noted, adding that his Washington exit “comes as sad news indeed.”
What happened here is understandable enough in the too-often cynical world of politics. Perlmutter wanted to run for governor, and he became an early entrant to next spring’s Democratic primary. When his congressional colleague from Boulder, Jared Polis, entered the race, Perlmutter felt the fear of many others who have watched the multimillionaire overwhelm the field with campaign funds from his own deep pockets.
Perlmutter said he no longer had the fire in the belly needed to run, and no doubt the country’s dysfunction can be more than dispiriting. He also based his decision on the baseball field shooting of Republican congressional members, including his friend Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. The tragedy sadly harkens back to the grocery store shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., which also rattled Perlmutter, known for holding constituent meetings in grocery stores.
But the lure of elected office in such a powerful institution proved too great to resist, though Perlmutter argues his turnabout comes from “many meaningful conversations with friends, neighbors, supporters and family” who have encouraged him to run again.
The problem for Perlmutter is that while he was in the gubernatorial sweepstakes, rising Democratic stars in the left-leaning district stepped in, among them state Sens. Andy Kerr and Dominick Moreno and Rep. Brittany Pettersen. At the beginning of this month, Daniel Baer, a former Obama administration diplomat, also joined the hunt.
The candidates had every reason to expect an open race, and they had been raising money and support. Now Kerr, Moreno and Pettersen are out, and their political futures somewhat uncertain. Baer is considering his options.
Yes, the incumbent apologized to the up-and-comers, but his words surely are cold comfort.
The upside, of course, is that Colorado retains a representative we have long supported and who has a proven track record for useful public service.
As retired Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy notes, aside from Congresswoman Diana DeGette of Denver, our state doesn’t have other longserving members and the benefits that come with extended leadership.
“From Colorado’s point of view, I think it’s good that he’s coming back into the race,” Loevy said.
Politicians routinely change their minds about races. It’s common for someone to assert in unequivocal terms that he or she has no interest in pursuing office, only later to be convinced by transformation on the playing field.
But the bottom line here is that Perlmutter stumbled badly in handling this decision from the start. We hope he’s got enough fire in the belly to regain the public’s trust.
The members of The Denver Post’s editorial board are William Dean Singleton, chairman; Mac Tully, CEO and publisher; Chuck Plunkett, editor of the editorial pages; Megan Schrader, editorial writer; and Cohen Peart, opinion editor.