February 24, 2016 01:17 PM UTC

Hillary Clinton Picks Up Key Colorado Endorsements While Democratic Legislators "Feel The Bern"

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• by: Colorado Pols

A quick roundup of a flurry of endorsements as the Democratic caucus in Colorado rapidly approaches–yesterday, a group of Colorado gun violence survivors announced their endorsement of Hillary Clinton, citing her steady support for stronger gun safety laws:

Four Coloradans who lost loved ones in mass shootings in Aurora, Columbine, and Sandy Hook today endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. The following family members released a joint endorsement statement: Jane Dougherty, whose sister Mary Sherlach was a school psychologist killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012; Tom Mauser, whose son Daniel was killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999; Coni Sanders, whose father Dave Sanders was a teacher killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999; and Tom Sullivan, whose son Alex was killed on his 27th birthday at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora on July 20, 2012:

“For us, this is personal. We know all too well the chaos, suffering, and pain that gun violence has sown on our community. We have received that frantic phone call no family member ever wants to receive; we have had to bury loved ones. That’s why today we are officially endorsing Hillary Clinton for President. Hillary Clinton is the only candidate with a proven track record of standing up to the gun lobby, the only one with the ability and the plan to enact common-sense measures to keep guns out of the wrong hands. With Hillary as president, we believe we have the best chance at putting an end to this senseless gun violence once and for all, and ensuring no more American families have to endure the heartache and tragedy that we have.”

In a separate release today, African American civic leaders endorse Hillary:

Wellington Webb, the first African American mayor of Denver, said:
“I endorse Hillary Clinton because I have worked with her for three decades and looked her in the eye when she’s talked about her commitment to black Americans. I know she is the right candidate for the job because for 40 years the issues that concern the African-American community concern her, too. She will protect the legacy of the country’s first black president while building her own as the country’s first female president.”

Landri Taylor, former Urban League President and former Denver Public Schools board member, said:
“Hillary’s commitment to the issues that matter most to us – raising wages, closing the achievement gap, reforming our criminal justice system – is unrivaled. More than any other candidate, she understands the African-American community and is determined to build upon President Obama’s progress. Her fights are our fights.”

Rhonda Fields, Colorado State Representative, said:
“Our communities are being torn apart by a broken criminal justice system and senseless and rampant gun violence. We need stronger measures to prevent gun violence and comprehensive criminal justice reform. Hillary is the only one who can tackle these challenges and deliver real results.”

Meanwhile, a group of current and former Colorado legislators including former House Speaker Terrance Carroll and Rep. Jonathan Singer held a rally at the Colorado Capitol yesterday to announce their support for Clinton’s opponent Bernie Sanders–adding to the endorsement earlier in the week from Rep. Joe Salazar:

And as a counterpoint to African-American political leaders endorsing Clinton, the Colorado Independent reports on black clergy on the stump for Bernie:

A group of black pastors are working with representatives from the Sanders campaign to schedule a luncheon toward the end of this week and a rally before the Super Tuesday caucuses on March 1, he says. He’s working with his brother, Rev. Patrick Demmer of Graham Memorial Community Church.

Jerry Demmer says he worries many in Colorado’s black community might not know much about the U.S. Senator who hails from the very white Northeastern state of Vermont.

“He’s always tried to fight for Civil Rights,” Demmer says of Sanders. “He was raised in Brooklyn, he was raised around a lot of African-Americans [and] understands African-American plight. So I think it’s super sincere. I don’t think it’s just about getting elected and trying to get a vote. He was involved in African-American politics and African-American rights before he was ever running for president. This has been going on a long time in Bernie’s life.”

With caucuses now only days away, both campaigns have dramatically increased their television ad presence. The Sanders campaign has reportedly purchased somewhere around $1 million in ads through next Tuesday. Clinton’s campaign was a little slower on the uptake but has reportedly made a large media buy in the last day or so to catch up.

Colorado is certainly getting our share of presidential campaign love ahead of Super Tuesday, at least on the Democratic side after Republicans cancelled their presidential preference polls before Donald Trump could win them.