Democrat and former Speaker of the House Crisanta Duran, who is running against Congresswoman Diana DeGette, but cannot articulate any policy differences between the two, bragged about raising $70,000 from donors in the first month of her campaign for Congress. After paying for campaign compliance and administrative fees, that might buy her a box of yard signs and two direct mail pieces in the heavily-Democratic CD-1 primary.
Reading a statement off of her phone while spending some quality with the dog she adopted, Duran proclaimed to her Twitter audience that she will win this election “with the power of people” which is defined by her as “lifting up the voices and values of all communities in the district.” It was a bad look for Duran, who must be second guessing her strategy of challenging an experienced, popular (among Democrats), and well-funded member of Congress when for the first time in recent memory there is a U.S. Senate seat in play without a Democrat incumbent. (Although, in her defense, there are about 27 candidates lined up.)
And, given the men who have announced for the Democrat Senate primary, Duran would have had a much easier time differentiating herself from that field than from Diana DeGette. We’re not sure what exactly she was thinking, but Duran needs to be all in for this Congressional election – a switch to the Senate side would be perceived as the worst type of political opportunism, not that such considerations have stopped Democrats in the past.
Duran has only been out of office for a few months, but she could not resist running for another seat right away. Politics is a long game, a marathon, and Duran’s quixotic run for U.S. Congress right now is like an amateur marathoner running the first mile in five minutes: hasty, ill-advised, unserious, and a near certain path to failure. This will undoubtedly (further) diminish her brand for years to come (after the Lebsock debacle), and burn bridges with people who would have gladly supported her for a U.S. Senate run this year, or a Congressional contest once DeGette exits the stage. Things look better for Alec Garnett in this district every day.
Finally, a pro tip for Duran and any other candidate with a phone and the urge to create video selfies: if you are going to try the impromptu-self-made-campaign-