October 09, 2023 02:45 PM UTC

The Annual Tom Cotton Meaningless Endorsement Returns

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• by: Colorado Pols

Like a bicycle with only one tire or a two-inch-long drinking straw, an endorsement in Colorado from Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton is pretty much useless.

But as Ernest Luning reported last week for the publication formerly known as the Colorado Statesman, the Cotton endorsement has nevertheless returned for 2024…though for a different type of candidate than we’ve seen in the past:

[Cotton] on Thursday endorsed state Rep. Gabe Evans in the GOP primary in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.

Evans is running against Weld County Commissioner Scott James, a former chairman of the Weld County GOP, for the seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Thornton…

…A Harvard-educated attorney and Army combat veteran, Cotton served one term in the U.S. House before his election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. Before winning reelection in 2020 by a wide margin over a Libertarian opponent, Cotton was considered for a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court by former President Donald Trump. Cotton was rumored to be a potential 2024 presidential candidate but didn’t get in the race. He serves on the Senate Armed Services, Judiciary and Intelligence committees.

It’s the third endorsement Evans has received from a congressional Republican since the Fort Lupton Republican launched his campaign last month. Earlier, U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman of Michigan and August Pfluger of Texas threw their support behind the first-term state lawmaker. [Pols emphasis]

Cotton has previously dipped his toe into Colorado in order to endorse U.S. Senate candidates Joe O’Dea (2022) and Cory Gardner (2020), both of whom were handily defeated by Democratic opponents Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, respectively. Having previously stuck with endorsements of other Senate candidates, it is a bit unusual to see Cotton backing someone for the House of Representatives before a Republican Primary Election takes place.

As the “Cotton Effect” has proven in Colorado to be about as helpful as locking down the “Inuit” vote, there’s no real downside for the Arkansas Senator. For Cotton it’s more about throwing a bone to another Republican whose marker he’ll want returned should he eventually make a serious run for President of the United States.

For Gabe Evans, meanwhile, he seems to be much more active than Weld County Commissioner Scott James in trying to establish his bonafides ahead of what could be a bruising internal GOP battle through the caucus process next year.

Evans may also be trying his best to stiff-arm O’Dea while the former Senate candidate debates whether or not to enter the race in CO-08. O’Dea has been courted by national Republican groups to some extent, pushed along by vampiric consultants such as Josh Penry, who is hoping that O’Dea will self-fund a new bathroom remodel campaign for Congress in 2024 in a year with no major statewide race on the ballot.