DENVER – Angela Williams, the state senator from Denver, announced Wednesday she was dropping her bid for the Democratic nomination in Colorado’s U.S. Senate race – narrowing the field to eight candidates.
Williams said in an email to supporters that she plans to file for re-election to her state Senate District 33 seat in coming days, where she will face another Democratic representative who filed to run in the district in recent weeks.
“Unfortunately, even now, as female candidates enjoy a historic level of support from voters, there are still elements of the Democratic Party seeking to promote male candidates at the expense of talented and smart progressive women,” Williams said in the release.
She, as have some of the other six Democrats who have dropped out of the race since former Gov. John Hickenlooper entered, also took a parting shot at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for its early endorsement of Hickenlooper in the race. The winner of the Democratic nomination will likely face Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., next November.
“Fighting to give women, people of color, and the underserved a voice isn’t always easy, especially when faced with strong headwinds from Washington D.C.,” Williams wrote.
She was one of six women in the race who urged the DSCC to rescind its endorsement of Hickenlooper in August, saying Hickenlooper had “failed to fight for the progressive solutions our state and country need.”
“I am disappointed, but I am undeterred,” Williams wrote to supporters Wednesday. “I remain committed to my fight to give Colorado’s women, people of color, and the underserved a voice. It is clear to me now that there is more work that needs to be done right here in Colorado.”
Williams will have to face Rep. James Coleman in the SD33 primary, however, after the state representative announced he was running for the seat earlier in November. Williams said Wednesday she looked forward to “a spirited campaign” for the seat and to serving another term.
“I will match my record, with nearly a decade of service fighting for my community, workers, women, the environment and small businesses against anyone,” she said.
