Jefferson County businessman Jerry Natividad today announced that he would enter the Republican primary for U.S. Senate for the chance to go toe-to-toe with embattled U.S. Senate candidate Michael Bennet. Natividad, CEO of American Facility Services Group, has been a prominent member of the Jefferson County community as well as the Hispanic community for decades.

Natividad has served on the boards of the Colorado Republican Hispanic Assembly, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In his announcement, Natividad emphasized his outsider status. From his campaign announcement:

“Senator Bennet has become a pawn of the Obama administration, beholden to Washington insiders, not the Coloradans he was elected to represent. As a Colorado native, I bring a genuine understanding of our state’s unique needs and changing landscape. We demand a viable economy, safe communities and employment opportunities for all Coloradans.”

Natividad is the thirteenth Republican to enter the Republican primary, and, given his announcement today on caucus day, will likely petition on. Natividad joins a diverse Republican field that includes an African American, a woman, and, now, a Hispanic. This baker’s dozen is vying to run against an east coast liberal born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Seems like an obvious choice – any Republican would be better than Bennet.