Just one day after DCCC-annointed candidate Jason Crow botched an interview in which he admitted that he would not move into the Sixth Congressional District unless he won, a new D.C-insider face has emerged in the race. Levi Tilleman is the grandson of Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos and of Nancy Dick, Colorado’s first female lieutenant Governor, who served two terms under Gov. Dick Lamm. Essentially, he is the product of two highly political Democratic families.
It looks like the DCCC is perhaps losing confidence in Crow’s ability to pull his campaign across the finish line and Tilleman is a safe bet in establishment Democratic political circles. While he hasn’t officially announced a run, but he has formed “an exploratory committee.”
Of course, he is still not Sen. Rhonda Fields or Rep. Janet Buckner, who have both expressed an interest in running. But, he is a dynasty heir. In fact, a Westword article from nearly a decade ago called his family Colorado’s Royal Tenenbaums.
That’s probably how he ended up as a policy adviser to the Obama Administration on clean energy. Nonetheless, political dynasty candidates traditionally have not fared well in Colorado. Just ask Mark Udall, who lost his re-election bid in 2014.